Chasing Freedom
by jediserenity82
Summary: AU/AH. Rose Hathaway is a best-selling author living in New York who appears to have it all. A successful career, great friends, and engaged to her high school boyfriend. It was everything she had ever wanted. But things are not always what they seem. Rated M for domestic violence, language, and sexual content in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

****Author's Note:**** **This story is one hundred percent AU/AH and could be fairly dark at times, and could possibly be triggering to some due to the nature of domestic violence, though I will do my best not to get too graphic and I will warn you if something particularly violent happens. With that being said, know that this story is not going to be all about violence and dark content. There will be plenty of romance and fluff, but it will be a slow build. Obviously, this Rose is going to be slightly OOC from the one we know and love, but she'll get there. :)**

 ** **January 5, 2017:**** **This fic is undergoing some major editing changes. My new beta and I will be going through and fixing some old mistakes and plot holes, and timeline issues before the new chapter is posted. Nothing major will be changed, however, so you won't be missing much.**

 **A huge, gigantic hug to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for helping me out with this! She's amazing!**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

"I can't believe you said yes to him!" exclaimed my best friend Vasilisa Dragomir, startling more than half of the other Starbucks customers.

We were seated at one of the less crowded window seats of the large coffee house. I looked down at the beautiful engagement ring resting on my ring finger. It glistened under the florescent lighting. "I love him, Liss."

She scowled at me, her pretty jade green eyes narrowing with anger. "Yeah, and I can tell he loves you, too. I'm assuming you're wearing those sunglasses indoors at seven p.m. as, what, a fashion statement?"

I knew I paled as I adjusted the glasses over my eyes. The bruise was nearly gone, being a little over a week old. I had hoped that the little bit of concealer and powder I was wearing hid the worst of it. Apparently, I was wrong. "He was drunk," I sighed and glanced down at the ring again, "and this was the apology." I took a sip from my mug, letting the warm chocolate liquid soothe my nerves.

My friend scoffed, but before she could say anything else, her boyfriend and my publisher, Christian Ozera, returned with his refill of decaf. Lissa turned her frown into a lovely smile as she looked at her lover. I was just happy for the temporary distraction.

"So, what are we talking about over here?" he asked, draping an arm over the back of Lissa's chair.

 _ _Damn__ _,_ I thought dejectedly. __So much for a distraction__ _._

Lissa turned her face back to me."We were just discussing how Rose should take that ring off and shove it into Jesse's colon."

I glared at her. "Why can't you just be happy for me?"

Her face softened a little as she brushed a strand of her long, blonde hair from her forehead as she regarded me. "Rose, I would be _ecstatic_ for you if I thought this was the right decision. If you were marrying anyone else, I'd be dancing on the tables for you." She paused, reaching over and taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "He's not the same person he was in high school."

I wanted to be angry, wanted to argue, but I couldn't. She was right. But I was trying to give Jesse a chance to change. We had been together since junior year of high school. He, of course, had been the star quarterback, while I was working on the school newspaper. We had met while I was interviewing the team after a huge win against our school's rival. We had been together ever since.

I winced inwardly as I caught sight of my reflection in the coffee shop's window. My long, dark brown hair was dull and lifeless in its haphazard ponytail. My tired and blood-shot brown eyes hid behind the cheap knock-off sunglasses to hide the yellowing marks along my eye.

The violence hadn't started until he was injured on the job. He worked as a cop for the NYPD and was shot in the knee cap during a drug bust almost two years ago. He had been out of work for months. After rehab, he began recuperating with a mixture of pain pills, alcohol, and beating the hell out of me. It had increased over the past few months when he started running for chief. He swore that once he got the position, he wouldn't feel as stressed out and things would go back to normal.

I tried to blink back tears. "He's __my__ Jesse when he's not drinking."

Lissa and Christian exchanged glances. They remembered the old Jesse, too. The Jesse who brought me flowers every weekend when he came to pick me up for a date. The Jesse who had started my crazy dolphin collection. The Jesse who didn't hit me.

"Hathaway, there has to be a stopping point," Christian said, squeezing Lissa's shoulder for support. "Zeklos was my best friend, but he's _not_ who he used to be. His temper is so much worse than what it used to be. We're afraid he's going to take his too far and actually hurt you."

I looked down at my now cold hot chocolate. "He would never do that."

It didn't sound convincing, not even to me.

Christian wasn't stupid. I believe he was marginally aware of what was going on, just not how far things had gone. While I considered him one of my best friends, there was only one person who knew this particular secret, and I knew it was killing her to keep it to herself.

Lissa's face darkened and she began to fidget in her seat. I knew what she wanted to say. It was the one thing I had asked her to not tell Christian, pleading with her to keep this one thing to herself. Not that she went around telling everyone my personal information, but she told Christian everything, and it was hard enough keeping his temper in check when it came to my or Lissa's welfare. I swear, if I could have kept Liss from knowing, I would have. But she'd been there when it had happened.

I sent her a pleading look, my teeth gnawing at my bottom lip nervously.

Christian looked between the two of us. "What'd I miss?"

Finally, Lissa took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Nothing, I just wish she would dump that asshat and find someone who really loves her." She sighed and squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry, Rose. I'm just scared for you." She paused, thinking. "Why don't you come stay with me for a few days? Get your head straightened out a bit and _really_ think about this. Marriage is a really big commitment and-"

Christian interrupted her with a smile, his ice blue eyes filled with mirth. "Why do you think I haven't popped the question to this crazy lady here?" He pointed his thumb towards Lissa, who countered by placing her free hand over his mouth and continued talking.

I couldn't help but giggle. What they had, Lissa and Christian, was exactly what I wanted and missed from Jesse. There was no laughter in our relationship anymore. There was no fun. We never went out together. I sighed heavily, feeling defeated and drained. "Jesse would never allow it."

My friend's teeth clenched, but before she could respond, Christian interrupted again. "We can discuss this later." He gave Lissa a warning glance when she started to protest. "We came here to discuss business."

I wanted to hug Christian for the change of subject. He wasn't any less concerned for my well-being than Lissa was, I knew. But he also knew how much I didn't want to talk about this in a public area. And as was every Manhattan-based Starbucks, this place was crowded.

However, I was dreading this conversation just as much.

"Rose, we need to get you working again. We released your last book almost three years ago," Christian said, pulling folders from his briefcase. "I realize you've had," he paused and cleared his throat uncomfortably, "issues going on, but your fan base is itching for more action. We get inquiries all the time asking when the next 'Lily Adams' book is coming out."

I recapped my last four books in my head. All of them had been written within a year of each other. I smiled a little. I used to think of Lily as my alter ego...my muse. The tiny girl who could kick so much ass and took no shit from anyone.

Funny how getting the crap beat out of you on a daily basis can ruin the very best part of who you are.

"I just... " I started, not really knowing what to say. "This writer's block is the worst one I've had." I paused and looked at my two best friends. "I... I don't even know if I want to continue writing. I think Lily is gone."

This caused both of them to stare at me in surprise. "You can't be serious," Lissa said, mouth gaped. "You've been writing since you were twelve years old. All you could talk about through college was how you hoped one day you would make it onto the New York Times Best Sellers list... and now that you have... you want to give it up?"

"You've been working on Lily since college," Christian agreed, lifting his mug to his lips. "Your fans love her. You can't just give her up."

I didn't want to give up writing. I certainly did not want to give up on Lily. But I had nothing left in me. No urgency to meet a deadline. No dialogue or quips... no battles... not even scenery. Just... nothing.

Lissa's face suddenly brightened and I started to wonder if maybe I had said part of that out loud when she said, "I've got it! The beach house!"

I looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "Liss, I can't afford to go to Hawaii right now," I said, knowing it came out a lot more bitter than I meant it to. "I haven't released a book in three years, remember?"

Lissa and Christian rolled their eyes simultaneously. They did that a lot. Like an old married couple. I often wondered why they hadn't tied the knot yet. They were practically one person.

"You still receive royalty checks from the last four you released," Christian said. "and it would be good for you."

"That is where your brilliant masterpieces have come to life," Lissa agreed excitedly. "All we would have to pay for is the flight; the house is already paid for."

My parents had purchased the beach house with their retirement funds about six years ago. It was beautiful, nestled in a secluded area on Sunset Beach, just outside of Haleiwa. There was a view of the ocean in almost every room. My parents had left the house to me when they had passed away during my sophomore year at the University of Pittsburgh. I smiled sadly, remembering the few times we had gone to the house together.

Lissa grinned when I didn't say anything. "You're thinking about it."

I nodded. "I would love to go back. That place has always inspired me to write. The beach and just the beauty of Hawaii itself were inspirational." I was actually starting to feel the first stirring of excitement when my cell phone went off. I jumped and reached inside my jeans pocket for my phone.

"Hello?" my voice was timid, careful, as it always was when I spoke to Jesse.

"Where are you?" the angry voice on the other end demanded. "You were supposed to be here when I got home from work."

I looked up at the clock. It was nearly eight-thirty. __Shit__. "I'm sorry, Jess. I met with Lissa and Christian at Starbucks to get some work done on the new book."

I watched as Lissa crossed her arms, staring at me as I listened to the angry ranting from Jesse, who was wondering where his dinner was, and demanding to know who I was really with.

I stood from the table, grabbing my laptop. "I'm really sorry, honey, I'll stop and get something for you on my way home."

He was still yelling into the phone when Lissa caught my arm as I started to leave. "Call me if you need me. I'm only ten minutes away."

I nodded, finally managing to get Jesse off the phone, and gave her a hug. "I will. Promise."

She looked at me seriously. "And Hawaii?" she asked, no hope in her voice.

I sighed as I walked away, giving Christian a quick wave. "I'll think about it."

With that, I took off towards my car, the closest McDonald's, and my very angry fiancé.

Okay, so that's the first chapter. This is basically just the introduction, so future chapters will most likely be longer. It will be quite a few chapters before Mr. Belikov makes his grand entrance, but don't worry. He's coming! I'd love to know what people thought. I don't have a particular writing schedule, but will work on this as the ideas come to me!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Fair warning, this chapter will contain a **graphic description of domestic violence** towards the end that could be **triggering** for some.

This chapter has been revised as of **01/05/2017.** A huge thank you to my lovely friend and beta, Mordinette for all of her amazing work.

* * *

Chapter Two

My hands shook as I removed my keys from the ignition of my Honda CRV, glancing towards the condo I had shared with Jesse for the past five years. The place I used to consider my home, my safe haven. Now, it just felt like a prison.

I didn't want to go in. From the way Jesse had sounded when he had called me earlier, I could tell he had already been drinking. That was one promise already broken. When he had proposed, he had sworn to me that he would never touch another drink and that he would seek help for his addiction. It hadn't even been a week yet. I couldn't say that I was surprised.

Taking a deep breath, I exited the car, Jesse's food in hand and towards our ground floor unit. As I reached our door, I could hear the sound of masculine laughter coming from inside. Relief briefly swept through me. He wasn't alone in there. Having someone over would save me from Jesse's ire, if only for a little while.

My relief was short-lived, however, when I opened the door to find Ralf Sarcozy, Jesse's best friend - and the bane of my very existence - sprawled out on my couch watching television, the floor around him littered with beer bottles. He grinned ferally, flashing his nicotine-stained teeth at me as I closed the door behind me. "Rosie!" he bellowed in greeting. "Heard Zeklos finally popped the question. Congrats!"

"Thanks," I replied noncommittally, cringing at his use of the nickname he knew I hated. It was no use asking him not to use it; he didn't care. Shaking my head, I placed my car keys on the hook and turned towards Jesse, who was leaning against the island counter in the kitchen, and held up the McDonald's bag. "Hey."

His eyes slowly lifted to mine and I felt a pang of sadness as I looked him over. The entire time I had known this man, looking at his handsome features would give me butterflies in my stomach, a simple touch enough to make my blood burn and my pulse race. Jesse Zeklos had always been an extremely good looking man. He was tall, well built, with soft, almost translucent blonde hair. His smile had been enough to make a woman weak in the knees. Big, expressive baby blue eyes.

The past few years, though, the smile seemed to stay in a perpetual scowl, the baby blues that I had loved so much now bloodshot and frigid, not a trace of warmth in their depths. Now, whenever I looked at him, I no longer felt the butterflies; they had been replaced with fear and sadness. His touch didn't send excitement through me and make my blood burn. Instead, it ran cold.

Jesse arched an eyebrow in my direction, noticing my scrutiny. I quickly averted my gaze and handed his food over to him, sending a silent prayer up to a god I that no longer believed in that it was still hot.

"Thanks," he said gruffly, digging into the bag and popping a fry into his mouth. "You gonna stay out here and watch the game with us?"

I tried to keep my expression pleasant - neutral - as I shook my head. The last thing I wanted to do was sit out here watching my alcoholic fiancé and his asshole of a best friend getting drunk and messing up my house. "Not this time," I said meekly, hoping not to set him off. "I have some work to do and I think I'm going to call it an early night."

Ralf scoffed before taking a long drink of the beer he had been nursing. "What happened to you, Rosie? You used to be fun. Hell, you used to be hot -"

"Watch it," Jesse warned half-heartedly before taking a bite of his burger.

"-now you're just... what's the word I'm looking for? Frumpy and boring," Ralf continued, ignoring his friend.

Jesse chuckled, wiping ketchup off his mouth. "She's not boring, Sarcozy. Rose just doesn't sleep well anymore. Not since… " his voice trailed off as his eyes met mine and his face softened, and for a fleeting moment, he was the man I loved from so long ago. He cleared his throat, his expression now schooled and in control. "Babe, hand me a beer from the fridge, would you?"

I bit my lip, knowing I should keep my mouth shut. But against my better judgment, I couldn't. "Jess, you promised -"

His blue eyes hardened instantly. He pulled me towards him, gripping my arm tightly. His fingers bit into my skin as he leaned forward, his breath hot on my face, reeking of alcohol. His voice was low and menacing when he spoke. "I asked you nicely to get me a beer the first time. Now, I'm not asking. Get me a fucking beer, then get the fuck out of my face."

Panic shot through me, my heart beating wildly in my chest. Was he so far gone that he would risk hurting me in front of someone? I spared a glance at Ralf, who was blissfully ignoring our confrontation, his eyes glued on the television.

He roughly released me and I scrambled to get the fridge door opened, quickly handing him the bottle, and made my way towards my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I leaned heavily against it, trying to chase the fear away.

I couldn't stay here. I knew that. Lissa and Christian had been right. No matter how much I hoped that _my_ Jesse was still in there, somewhere, it didn't make it true. The man I had loved was long gone and had taken my pride and dignity with it.

It was time to go.

Me entire body shaking, I surveyed my bedroom, debating on what I should take and what could be easily replaced. Having somewhere to go wasn't the problem; I knew Lissa and Christian would gladly let me stay with them. But I needed to do this wisely. I needed a plan.

I couldn't take a lot. He could keep the apartment, I didn't care. This place held nothing but heartache and pain for me anymore. A few clothes to get by on and just a few sentimental items would have to be enough. Not enough to tip Jesse off.

I could hear the men yelling obscenities at the television. They'd be occupied for a few hours at least. I could pack what I needed and I would wait until after Jesse passed out to make a break for it. Thankfully, he'd always been a heavy sleeper.

Rummaging through the closet, I found my old gym bag, wiping off the dust it had collected with disuse. Long ago, I had been an avid fitness fanatic. The closest I came to the gym these days was going for my morning run. I had loved the sense of freedom running gave me, pushing my legs to take me farther and farther away.

 _Freedom._ That's exactly what I needed.

I shoved some of my favorite and most practical clothes and shoes into the bag, surprising myself there was so much I was willing to part with. Placing the bag onto the bed, I opened up my curio cabinet that housed my massive dolphin collection. With a quick glance at the door, I opened it up and pulled out my favorites, ones my parents had bought or ones given to me from Lissa. Wrapping them carefully up into my clothes, I scanned the room again, ascertaining that I had everything that I absolutely could not part with.

There was only one more thing.

I reached underneath my pillow and pulled out the photograph, creased and frayed at the edges from constant handling. Gingerly, I traced the image on the paper, wondering if things would have been different if...

"Going somewhere, Rose?"

With a startled gasp, I spun. I had been so preoccupied that I hadn't heard the bedroom door open. Jesse was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, glaring accusingly at me, a beer bottle clutched tightly between his hand. "Jess!" I forced a nervous laugh, trying to ignore my pounding heart. "You scared the hell out of me."

He continued to stare at me, his stormy blue eyes trailing over me, slowly coming to rest on the bag next to me. "I asked you a fucking question."

I could feel my mouth opening and closing like a fish. I tried to speak, but the fear and panic seized me. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe as I fought for words. "I... I-"

I heard the bottle shatter against the wall only seconds before he was on me, yanking my ponytail backward roughly to force me to look up at him.

Rage etched every inch of his face as he snarled at me. "Why are you packing, Rose? You've lost your goddamned mind if you think you're leaving me."

My throat convulsed as I tried to swallow back my fear. "Jesse, please. You're hurting me."

"Why do you make me do these things, Rose?" he demanded with an angry sigh. "First you question me in front of my friend. If you would just listen for once you'd save yourself a hell of a lot of trouble." His hand tightened in my hair. "Then I come in and find this." He picked up the bag with his free hand and flung it at the wall, the contents scattering across the floor.

I tried to respond, but the sudden stinging sensation in my cheek cut me off. I whimpered desperately as his fingers moved to grip my jaw and squeezed.

He brought his face in close to mine, running his nose along mine. "You'd never leave me, would you, Rose? 'Cause you know that you could never find anyone better than me. No one wants a battered, weak woman," he spat, his fingers digging into my skin. "And that's exactly what you are. Weak. Pathetic. Broken."

Tears sprang to my eyes, the pressure on my jaw sending shockwaves of pain through my skull. _Where the hell was Ralf?_ Would he really just let Jesse hurt me? "Jess, please let go," I begged, trying to push myself away from him.

He ignored me. "You're not going anywhere," he spat, sending saliva across my face. "Now do yourself a favor and pick that stuff up and put it away. And we'll forget this ever happened."

I blinked back tears and tried to block out the pain. My mind and body were screaming at me to comply, to do anything just to make the pain stop.

But it wouldn't stop. It would never stop. If I stayed, this would continue until he eventually became so enraged that he would kill me. I couldn't do it anymore. "No."

His eyes widened for the briefest moment before he reigned himself in. When he spoke again, he almost sounded... amused. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you correctly."

Steeling myself, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for Jesse's wrath. "No. I said no. I can't do this anymore, Jesse."

A sound ripped from his throat that sounded more animal than man. He tightened his hold on my jaw, and I vaguely felt him push me backward until my back was shoved against something hard. Again, and again he shoved me into it as I begged him to stop.

I cried out as shards of glass and broken pieces of porcelain bit into my skin, and through my pain I realized he had shoved me into my curio cabinet. Remnants of my collectible dolphins littered the ground around me.

Jesse was still screaming at me, but I couldn't make out what he was saying, his hateful words drowned out by the pounding in my head. My vision blurred as something wet and sticky slid over my forehead and into my eyes.

I felt my knees buckle and give out beneath me and I fell to the floor, my world spinning around me. He wasted no time, sending swift kicks to my midsection. I could hear a sound fill the room, the sound of a dying animal. _Where the hell was the noise coming from?_

 _Me,_ I realized. That horrible sound was coming from me. I had never experienced pain so intense. This was it, he was going to kill me.

 _I'm sorry, Liss. I should have listened to you. I should have listened._

I could hear the sounds of my ragged and labored breathing, and somewhere in the background I heard more glass shattering before I heard the door slam shut. The very last thing I remembered before everything went dark was the sweet, sweet bliss of nothingness. No screaming. No pain.

Nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:** A HUGE thanks to everyone who has followed/favorited this story! It makes my little heart so happy! A special thank you to Romitri99, NeonMinx, Ims86, Blissangel91494, Swimmer07, TheTruthAboutTheWallFlower, and guest for your lovely reviews on the first two chapters! You guys are just awesome!

 **This chapter has been edited and revised as of 01/05/2017. A huge thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for all of her hard work!**

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Chapter Three

I had always imagined death to be peaceful, quiet, and serene. However, angry, shouting voices were polluting what should have been my tranquil oblivion.

Was I in Hell, then? Surely, Heaven would have been a lot quieter.

The first thing to register to my waking consciousness was the noise. The second and most prominent was the pain. Everything on my body hurt, from the searing pain behind my eyes to the fire in my ribs. My left arm was in a sling. I slowly wiggled my fingers to ascertain the extent of the injury. Pain shot up through my entire arm. Not broken - at least that was something. I guess I should have been reassured by the pain in hindsight - it meant I was alive. But right now, I just wanted to die.

There was a heated confrontation going on somewhere around me. However, my addled brain couldn't process what was being said or who the voices belonged to.

The shouting was becoming louder, and I winced as the sounds reverberated through my skull. I forced my eyes to open, and through the blinding white light of the room, I could just barely make out four silhouettes just outside the door.

"Get him the fuck out of here! He's not to come one step closer to Rose or so help me I'll rip his goddamned head off!"

My eyes slowly adjusted to the bright lights, and I could see Lissa with her arms wrapped around an incredibly pissed off Christian, her soft voice pleading with him. "Christian! Please, calm down, you're going to get us kicked out of here!"

I could see a nurse just past my two friends, a worried expression on her face. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down before I'm forced to call security -"

"Good! Call them and have them escort his punk ass out of here before I do it for them!" Christian snarled, maneuvering Lissa protectively behind him.

The next voice to speak sent a wave of fear through me. I heard a sob escape my throat.

Lissa turned to me, noticing that I was awake for the first time and rushed towards me. She gripped my hand in hers, squeezing gently. "It's okay, Rose. He's not coming anywhere near you, you're safe."

"Ozera, I suggest you back the fuck up and get out of my way. She's _my_ fiancé, and I have every fucking right to be here," Jesse snapped, viciously.

"You're the one who put her in here in the first place, you piece of shit!" Christian stepped right into Jesse's personal space, ice blue eyes bright with barely controlled rage. I noticed Jesse take a small step back, and my friend pounced on it with a triumphant smile. "What's the matter, Zeklos? You're not afraid to lay your hands on a woman, but you're too much of a fucking pussy to fight someone who's not afraid to fight back."

Jesse stepped forward once more, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "You'd best get out of my way. You can't legally stop me from being near her."

The nurse backed away, pulling out her phone and hastily pressing numbers into her phone.

"No, he can't. But I can." I winced at how hoarse and dry my voice sounded with disuse. _How long have I been here?_

The two men turned to me in surprise. Jesse's eyes narrowed. "You can't be serious, Rose."

I could hear the sounds of heavy feet approaching from the distance. The nurse had called security. I smiled humorlessly. I lifted my hand and slid the pretty engagement ring from my finger and threw it on the ground at his feet. "Dead serious," I informed him. I met his eyes steadily, unflinching. "I'd like to press charges."

The nurse, whose nametag read Deborah Reed, R.N., nodded once in affirmation. "I'll get someone here to do that for you as soon as possible."

I felt Lissa's hand squeeze mine. I could see her relieved smile out of the corner of my eye, but I refused to take my eyes off Jesse, who was staring at me with a mixture of fury and disbelief.

Christian grinned at me before turning back to his former friend, picking the ring off the floor and placing it in Jesse's shirt pocket, patting it mockingly, making sure to press the ring into his skin to the point of pain. "You heard the lady, Zeklos. Get the fuck out."

"Rose -" he tried again but was cut off by rough hands grabbing him by the shoulders and trying to pull him away. "Get the fuck off me!" he growled at the security officers. He glared back at me. "Rose, come on. You love me! We can work this out."

Tears sprang to my eyes and I averted my gaze, looking into Lissa's concerned face providing me with the comfort and support I needed. I shook my head. "Not this time, Jesse." I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at him for the last time. "It's over."

The officers carried him away as he continued to shout at me. "You're going to regret this, Rose! If you think I'm going to just let you walk away from me, you're sadly mistaken. I'll make your life a living hell for you and any other guy you try to fuck!"

Christian slammed the door, effectively cutting off the rest of Jesse's rant. "Asshole." Pulling a chair next to Lissa, he rested his arms on the side of the bed next to my leg. "I'm damn proud of you, Hathaway."

Deborah, a pretty older African-American woman, smiled kindly as she checked my IV and all of the various machines that were hooked up to me. "I'll let your doctor know you're awake," she informed me, heading towards the door. "And we'll make sure that man doesn't get near you again, Miss Hathaway."

I smiled warmly at the woman. "Thank you, ma'am."

"How do you feel?" Lissa asked once the door was closed again.

I huffed out a mirthless laugh, wincing as it jarred my aching ribs. "Like death." I looked over at my friends. "How did I get here?"

She brushed a lock of hair off my forehead and gave me a sad smile. "Your neighbor - Miss Karp - called the police when she heard you screaming." She shuddered. "They took him in, but Ralf bailed him out a few hours ago."

I frowned. Had Jesse been locked up long enough for them to post bail? "Wait - how long have I been out?"

"You've been out about twelve hours," Christian said quietly. "Ralf pulled some strings and managed to get him the first available bond hearing."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course he did."

We fell into a comfortable silence as we waited for the doctor to arrive. Finally, I had to ask. "So how did you guys find out I was here?"

Lissa smiled faintly. "I gave my number to Miss Karp after… " She paused and bit her lip. "After the first time this happened. I asked her to call me if anything else happened."

"Damn good thing you did," Christian said, leaning back in his chair, putting his arm over the back of Lissa's. "After Jesse was arrested, we went over to the condo to grab some stuff for you. There was a bag that looked like it had been packed already, so we brought it." He gestured to my gym bag sitting by the door.

I smiled gratefully at them. "Thank you both. I appreciate it."

"What happened, Rose?" Lissa asked quietly. "What set him off?"

I took a deep breath, pain tightening in my chest as I relayed everything that I remembered from last night. "I should have left sooner."

They didn't say anything – they didn't need to. A thought occurred to me then, and I grabbed LIssa's hand. "Liss, the picture -"

She shook her head sadly. "He destroyed it. I'm so sorry, Rose."

I nodded, closing my eyes, and let the tears fall freely. I barely felt Liss reaching over to wipe them from my face as we sat in silence.

Christian looked between the two of us, frowning slightly in confusion. Thankfully, he didn't voice his questions.

Finally, the doctor arrived to check my vitals. Doctor Olendzki was a tall, slender middle-aged woman with light brown hair and a kind smile. "Glad to see you finally awake, Miss Hathaway. You took a few pretty nasty hits to your head." She took out a notepad. "How are you feeling now?"

I shrugged, and immediately regretted it. "I feel like I've been hit by a wrecking ball."

The doctor nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid you're going to be sore for a while. It took us quite a few hours to get all of the glass out of you." She moved to the side of the bed, pulling a light pen out of her breast pocket and shining it in front of my eyes. "Any nausea or blurred vision?"

"A little," I replied honestly. "My vision was pretty blurry when I first woke up, but it seems okay now. Mostly it's my ribs, and I have one hell of a headache."

Christian and Lissa listened quietly as the doctor continued to check me over. Not only did I have a slight concussion, but two cracked ribs, some fairly deep abrasions, and a hairline fracture to my humerus. But luckily, nothing too serious.

"I want to keep you here for another few days for observation," Dr. Olendzki stated, placing her notepad back into her white coat pocket. "I would also like for you to see a counselor. Someone who specializes in domestic abuse cases such as yours. I can give you a list of some of the best in the area."

She left shortly afterwards. When she did, I turned carefully to Lissa. "How bad is it?" I asked, pointing to my face.

She grimaced, and I wondered if I have inadvertently lied to the doctor about the nausea. Silently, she reached into her purse and handed over her compact. "It's really not that bad, Rose."

I gasped as I took in the dark purple splotches along both sides of my jaw and up to my right temple. My right eye was swollen and black. "Shit."

Lissa looked at me sympathetically. "We can fix your hair to cover most of it. We'll stock up on some concealer, too."

When I didn't say anything, Christian cleared his throat, desperate to change the subject. "You're gonna need somewhere to stay. I don't think Jesse's going to give up that condo."

"I don't care about the condo," I murmured, closing the compact with more force than I meant to and handed it back to Lissa. "I'll find somewhere else."

"Obviously, you're welcome to stay with us," Lissa stated matter-of-factly. "But Jesse knows where we live, and we feel you won't be safe."

Christian snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "Like I'll let that fucker get near her again. She'd be safe enough."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Regardless, we have a better suggestion."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "Oh?"

She nodded. "The beach house. Jesse has never been there, right?"

I shook my head. "No, but he knows about it. We just never made it out there."

"That's what I thought. Hawaii will give you time to recuperate, relax, and you'll be far away from him. You were already considering it before this happened. You might even get some writing done."

I bit my lip, considering. It _would_ be nice to get a way for a while. Resolved, I nodded. "Alright. Let's do it. As soon as I'm healed, we'll go."

"Well, you better do it soon," Christian informed me, "because we leave in five days."

* * *

Protective Christian is best Christian! What do you guys think about Big Brother Ozera? I'm not sure this chapter turned out exactly like I wanted it, but hope it's okay.

Next chapter, we'll finally get to Dimitri! I'm so excited! :D Aside from reading his westerns, what other hobbies would you like to see Dimitri have?


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! It really means the world to me! So thank you to: TheTruthAboutThe Wallflower, Blissangel91494, Indira (guest), lisablackrose, ilovesos9467, ariegentry22, swimmer07, , maggiescousin, and guest!**

 **Author's Note:** This chapter has been edited and revised as of 01/06/2017. A huge thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for all of her hard work!

* * *

Chapter Four

Christian hadn't been kidding. Apparently, he and Lissa had taken it upon themselves to book our flight after our meeting in the coffee house.

" _We weren't going to give you the chance to say no," Lissa had said, a mischievous grin on her face._

" _Besides, it's about to get cold here," Christian added. "I'm not ready for the snow yet."_

True to Dr. Olendzki's word, I had been discharged from the hospital late the following afternoon, complete with painkillers and a list of office numbers for some of the best psychologists in New York that I had zero intentions of using.

I did, in fact, press charges against Jesse. According to Ms. Karp, the police had once again taken him in and I had been able to go pack up the stuff I still had at the condo that hadn't been destroyed. The condo had been in complete shambles. Jesse had pretty much destroyed anything that belonged to me; my phone, my laptop...everything. I was still waiting to hear from my lawyer when I needed to fly back for the court case, which I wasn't looking forward to. I did _not_ want to have to face him again.

It was freeing, in a way, to finally be away from that situation. I'd lost my home and most of my possessions. But those were simply material things. I'd also lost Jesse. It may seem strange, with everything he'd put me through, but he had been a huge part of my life since high school. It was hard to let something like that go.

A part of me would probably always love him, or at least the man he _used_ to be. He had been my first real boyfriend, my first and only lover. It was going to be...weird, to say the least, without him there. I only hoped he was able to get the help he needed.

That just wasn't my job anymore.

But despite everything, I had to admit, I was excited about the trip, even if I looked like something from a slasher film. I wasn't going to try to impress anyone. I was going to clear my head, soak up some sun, and hopefully get some writing done. I was going to completely forget about men for a long, _long_ time.

After making a few calls, utilities would be turned on by the time we arrived. Since the house wasn't used often, it was being maintained by close friends of the family.

"Are the Castiles still looking after the house?" Lissa asked as we finally made our way through security at JFK and headed to our terminal, only stopping momentarily to grab a cup of coffee from a nearby vendor.

I nodded. "It's mostly just Eddie now. Janice and Collin aren't really physically able to do it anymore. He's going to meet us at the airport and give us a lift."

I breathed a sigh of relief when we reached our terminal. My ribs were screaming at me in protest by the time we sat down and I tried to adjust my arm sling more comfortably around my neck to keep it from chafing. Taking a sip of my coffee, I glared over my sunglasses at Christian, who was looking decidedly smug. "You just _had_ to pick the earliest flight available, didn't you?"

I was _so_ not a morning person.

He shrugged, unconcerned with my rancor, draping his arm around the back of Lissa's seat while propping his ankle onto his knee. "Consider it payback."

I raised an eyebrow at him in confusion. "Payback for what?"

"Oh, I don't know," he said, a hint of bitterness in his tone, "maybe for not telling me the extent of what was going on, Rose. For not telling me just how bad it had gotten." He looked at me then, eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and pain. "And for making Lissa lie to me."

"Christian -" Lissa warned gently. "Not here, please."

I gaped, staring wide-eyed in disbelief at my friend. "You told him."

She bit her lip, her jade green eyes pleading with me to understand. "He... saw what was left of the picture. He kind of figured it out."

Christian nodded. "Had I known back when it originally happened, that bastard would have been dead already and you wouldn't be sitting here like… " he waved his hand towards me, "like that, and I wouldn't have to be carrying your stuff."

I snorted. "You would have been carrying it anyway because you're a gentleman."

"Not the point."

I shook my head and was about to respond when a woman dragging a small child behind her took a seat across from us.

The little boy was adorable, and couldn't have been more than four or five years of age. His big brown eyes widened when he noticed me and he tugged on his mother's coat sleeve. "Mommy, what happened to that lady's face?"

Hastily, I brushed my hair over my still bruised face and adjusted my sunglasses over my eyes.

The woman placed a gentle hand over the child's mouth and glanced at me apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Kaleb is still learning about manners." She removed her hand and spoke to him firmly. "Tell the nice lady that you're sorry and that you hope she feels better soon."

Kaleb pouted adorably as he turned his attention back to me. "I'm sorry. Does it hurt?"

I smiled at the boy and shook my head. "Not anymore," I lied.

"Did they go to jail?"

I cocked my head to the side. "Who?"

"The person who beat you up."

"Kaleb!" his mother exclaimed, obviously mortified.

I smiled at her reassuringly, waving off her apology. "It's okay. Really." I turned and addressed Kaleb again. "Yes, he did."

He widened his big, brown eyes. "Boys aren't supposed to hit girls!"

The woman smiled and ran her fingers through her son's soft-looking brown hair. "That's right, sweetie." She kissed his forehead and I felt my heart clench. "You just remember that."

Kaleb grinned at me. "I hope you hit him back."

We all laughed at the boy's enthusiasm. "Not this time," I told him truthfully, "but he won't get the chance to do it again."

The little boy nodded. "That's good. I hope you feel better." And like most children, his attention span waned and he turned back to his mother. "I'm hungry."

Chuckling, the woman stood and bid us farewell. Before leaving, Kaleb turned back to us. "Hope you feel better soon!"

I watched the two as they wandered off, smiling softly to myself. I felt Lissa gingerly place a hand on mine and give it a light squeeze. With a heavy sigh, I shifted to lean my head against her shoulder and closed my eyes.

* * *

We were all exhausted by the time we landed in Honolulu. The total flight time had been over twelve hours, including a three hour layover in Phoenix. Luckily, thanks to my pain medication, I managed to sleep for most of the trip.

Eddie Castile was waiting for us at baggage claim. He stood leaning against a pillar, scanning the area for familiar faces. Our parents had been close, so the two of us had basically grown up together, along with Lissa. It had been so long since I had seen him, but I recognized him right away.

He hadn't changed much in the few years since I had last seen him. The boyish features I remembered had matured, but his hazel eyes were still kind and welcoming with a hint of the mirth that always hid just beneath the surface. His sandy blonde hair was cut short, and his tall, wiry frame was nicely toned.

A slow smile started to form on his face when he noticed us, but quickly faded when he _really_ looked at me. "Christ, Hathaway. What happened to you?" he asked as we approached, his eyes narrowing with concern. He nodded in greeting to Christian, who was walking off to grab our bags from the carousel.

I exchanged an uncomfortable glance with Lissa before shrugging at Eddie and giving him a careful hug, wincing when he squeezed a little too hard. "Perks of living in the big city, Castile. I was mugged."

I could feel the disapproving glare coming from my best friend, and a growl coming from Christian somewhere behind me, but Lissa shook her head and embraced Eddie. "It's been such a long time, Eddie. Thank you so much for meeting us here. How's Jill?" she asked as they separated.

Finally, the smile reappeared at the thought of his long-time girlfriend, Jill Mastrano, as he helped Christian with the bags. "She's good. Really good, actually. She apologizes for not being here, but she got called into an emergency case just before I left."

"She still working as a vet assistant?" I asked as we headed towards the exit and the waiting car.

He nodded. "Yeah, she loves it. As soon as she finishes school, she's hoping to open up her own clinic."

I nearly moaned in pleasure as we stepped out into the pleasant Hawaiian afternoon, tilting my head back, letting the warm blissfully kiss my skin. It was in complete contrast to the mid-November chill of New York.

We continued to make small talk as we made our way to Eddie's car. "I know you guys had a long flight, but if you're up for it, my band is playing tonight at The Kahu tonight. Jill will be there. She'd love to see you." He grinned. "Plus, a buddy of mine owns the place, so I can get you in for free."

I grimaced. The very last thing I wanted was to be surrounded by a bunch of drunk people, but I also knew that Christian and Lissa would want to go. I turned to them. "If you guys want to go, feel free. I'm not sure I'm ready to go out looking like this," I said, gesturing towards my face.

Bars were always crowded with people dancing and bumping into each other. With my ribs still so badly bruised, I wasn't sure I could handle it. Physically or emotionally.

Lissa gripped my good arm. "Come on, Rose. We're here to have fun, and you _need_ a night out. You need to get Jesse out of your head."

Eddie's blonde eyebrows shot up and he glanced around, noticing for the first time that Jesse wasn't with us. "Where is loverboy anyway? I thought he never let you out of his sight."

"He didn't, until she finally wised up and dumped his sorry ass," Christian stated proudly as he and Eddie tossed their bags into the back of the car.

I could feel Eddie's eyes on me, his brow pinched in thought. I sighed. There was only one way out of this. Before he could say anything, I asked as we all climbed into the car, "So what time should we be there?"

* * *

The house was exactly as I remembered it, and my heart ached painfully at all of the subtle reminders of my parents, the personal touches bearing their influence. From my mother's favorite white gauzy curtains fluttering in the Hawaiian breeze, to some of the more masculine furniture that screamed of my father's more... eclectic tastes.

It was all natural stone, hardwood floors, marble, and huge windows facing the small backyard. To the side of the house was also a large lap pool and outdoor entertainment area. From there, a stone pathway that wound down to an iron gate that would lead them to the beach.

I had taken up residence in my parents old bedroom, which had a large sliding glass door that led out onto a small balcony that held a breathtaking view of the ocean, as did all four bedrooms this place had. A little excessive for a family of three, but that was my parents.

But my absolute favorite part of the room was the bay window, complete with padded bench. Each side was accented with bookcases filled with literature my parents had collected over the years. It would be the perfect place to sit and write for hours.

It was a bit surreal to know that this place actually belonged to _me_ now.

Taking my eyes from the stunning view, I glanced towards the clock. It was six-thirty. Eddie would be here in an hour to pick us up to take us to The Kahu, which I had learned translated to The Guardian.

Sighing, I grabbed the black jeans, tank top, and light hoodie that I had set out for the night. I knew it was probably going to be hot and stuffy at the venue, but I didn't want people to see the marks and bruises on my skin. Not being able to wear sunglasses was going to be bad enough. There really wasn't enough concealer in the world to cover up the bruises and cuts on my face.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Eddie pulled into the crowded parking lot of The Kahu. Exiting the car, he inclined his head towards us, insisting that we follow him. He led us to a back entrance of the bar, where we were greeted by a tall, handsome man with stylishly messy brown hair and gorgeous emerald green eyes. He was leaning against the brick wall of the building, smoking a cigarette.

"Ivashkov," greeted Eddie with a wide grin, giving the man a quick handshake. "These are the friends I was telling you about from New York. This is Rose, Lissa, and Christian. Guys, this is Adrian Ivashkov. He's the owner of this dump."

Adrian snorted. "Watch it, Castile. Keep in mind who does your booking for this 'dump.'" Finally turning to us, he flashed Lissa and me a charming smile and gave an exaggerated bow. "It's an honor to have such lovely ladies grace my fine establishment."

Lissa and I grinned at him, and I had to laugh at Christian's indignant scowl. Lissa giggled and laced her arm through his and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Ignore him, Christian. Don't let the charm fool you, he's happily married, his wife is probably inside waiting for him."

Adrian sighed playfully and placed an arm, gently, around my shoulders and ushered us inside. "You spoil all my fun, Castile." He winked down at me. "C'mon, drinks are on me tonight."

As expected, the place was crowded. Eddie excused himself to go meet his bandmates and set up as Adrian led us through the throngs of people to the fully stocked bar in the back. He grinned at the pretty blonde behind the bar, leaning over it and placing a kiss on her cheek. "Sage, I'd like you to meet my new friends." He gestured to us. "This is Rose, Lissa, and Christian. Make sure my cousin takes good care of them. Guys, this is my beautiful wife, Sydney."

Sydney beamed at us, reaching over the counter to shake each of our hands. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

As soon as Eddie's band started, with him on the drums, the area around the bar cleared out and everyone crowded around the stage or congregated on the dance floor.

"You wanna go dance?" Lissa asked, giving me a wide smile as she leaned into Christian, whose arms were wrapped around her from behind.

I snorted, not sure if she could hear me over the loud music. "No thanks, you two go ahead."

Her eyebrows pulled together in concern. "You sure? We don't want to leave you here alone."

I waved off her concern. I loved my friend dearly, but the last thing I wanted was to be the third wheel. "I'll be fine. Go have fun."

With one last look at me, Christian pulled her towards the dance floor and they disappeared into the crowd.

Sighing, I took a sip of the bottled water Sydney had handed to me earlier and watched the people move and sway to the music.

I tried to lose myself in the sounds around me. His band, Compulsion, was actually really good. I was so caught up in the music, I didn't notice the man step up beside me. "Want to dance?"

I jumped, startled. The man wasn't bad looking, but I could smell the liquor on his breath. He had gotten that close without me realizing it. I forced a polite smile. "No, thank you. I'm not the dancing type."

"Aw, come on, honey. A pretty thing like you shouldn't be up here all alone."

I was getting a really bad vibe from this guy. I moved away from him as much as I could without stepping off the bar stool I was on. "I'm not alone. My boyfriend's just gone to the restroom. He'll be back any minute now."

The man chuckled and reached up to brush a hand across my cheek. "Just one dance. Your _boyfriend_ never needs to know."

Fear started to settle into my stomach. I batted his hand away. "No, please just go away."

"Aw, don't be like tha-"

"I believe the lady said no," a voice interrupted from behind the bar.

My head spun towards the new arrival. He was tall, _really_ tall. Brown hair tied back in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a lovely chocolate brown that were currently focused in warning on the man next to me, his lips set in an angry frown.

He had to have been the most gorgeous man I had ever laid my eyes on.

The man held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, man, no harm done. Was just havin' a bit of fun, is all."

"I suggest you take your idea of fun some place else, before I remove you myself," the new guy stated. His voice held a slight accent, that if I had to guess, sounded Russian, and was very sexy. His words, though angry, were like velvet over my heated skin. _Down girl,_ I scolded myself.

With a scowl, the man sauntered off. I turned back to the man behind the bar and smiled meekly at him. "Thank you." I extended my good hand to him. "I'm Rose. Rose Hathaway."

He looked me over for a moment, I guessed to ascertain that I was alright, before a soft smile played on his lips. He accepted my hand with a soft squeeze.

"I'm Dimitri. Dimitri Belikov."


	5. Chapter 5

****Author's Note:**** So most of you seemed to be in favor of getting into Dimitri's head, and overall I think it will give more depth to the story, seeing Rose through his eyes. I feel like I need to remind people that this __is__ an AU where they are all human, so there will be some noticeable differences to his personality. He's still going to have his antisocial and protective behavior, but since there are no threats of Strigoi lurking about, he's not on edge constantly. We will get a more relaxed version of himself. With that being said, I hope you enjoy!

Once again, thank you so much to the following people kind enough to leave a review for the last chapter: ilovesos9467, blissangel91494, ariegentry22, , MaahKisneer, Victor Marie Dragomir, justmeanyways, swimmer07, ratatatat (guest), and Ims86! You guys made my day!

 **This chapter has been revised as of 01/09/2017. A huge thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette for being an amazing person and all of her hard work with helping me revamp this fic :)**

* * *

Chapter Five

 ***Dimitri***

"Come on, cousin. You've been here for six months and haven't gone on _one_ date," my cousin Adrian Ivashkov commented, leaning his frame against the door, watching me work, as per usual. "Eddie's friends from New York just got here, and he told me one of them is recently single and she's just your type, too. Average height, great curves. Brunette. Hot."

I rolled my eyes, my attention focused on going through our inventory. "It's funny how you seem to know more about my 'type' than I do." Finally spotting what I was looking for, I pulled the crate of Kahlúa from the shelf.

"Someone has to," he murmured dryly. "Look, Dimitri. I know you think you have to work your ass off for your family, but you have to learn to live a little. Have some fun. The only time you ever socialize with anyone is when you're at work. It's not healthy."

I clenched my teeth, trying to reign in my annoyance. I knew Adrian meant well, but the constant nagging was really starting to grate on my nerves. The fact of the matter was, I didn't have the time, nor the funds to have a social life. "Well, if your deadbeat uncle would step up and provide for his own family, then I could possibly have a life. But we both know _that's_ not going to happen in the foreseeable future."

The amusement immediately drained from his face. Randall Ivashkov, my father and Adrian's uncle, was a sorry excuse for a human being - and that was putting it politely. The man was a drunk and a womanizer. When he wasn't at home beating my mother, he was off gambling. He had stuck around long enough for my baby sister Viktoria to be born before taking off, leaving my mother to raise four children on her own.

He hadn't been heard from since.

So, when I was fourteen years old, I dropped out of school so that I could work to support my mother and my three sisters while my mother continued my education when we had the free time. I took any odd job I could get, from working on local farms to being someone's delivery boy. Being so young, a lot of my employers were forced to pay me under the table, but it had been just enough to keep us fed.

When I turned twenty-one and had saved up enough money, I left Russia for the United States in hopes of finding a job that could easily support my family. Of course, I had been delusional. A kid with little experience in hard labor and not enough of a formal education could hardly be of any use to anyone.

I worked hard and managed to get my high school diploma with the help of Adrian's wife, Sydney. Not that I really needed it. My mother had done everything she could to make sure I was well educated, despite not finishing school. So even then, there hadn't been much time for dating, and the few occasions I had, they never lasted for one reason or another.

Now, ten years later, my situation had not changed much. I was currently working two jobs, one of which was Adrian's manager and bartender at The Kahu. The place had only been opened for a year, but it had already risen in popularity.

The other was as a personal trainer and self-defense instructor at The Nazar Academy of Defense, a small gym that my best friend, Eddie Castile, owned and operated. _That_ was the job that I loved.

I had grown up watching my dad treat my mother like a punching bag, and it only bolstered my resolve to make sure the women I taught could defend themselves against someone like him. If I could save at least one person from the life Olena Belikova had lived, then I was doing my job, and I was damn proud of it.

The only problem was that it just didn't pay enough. Living in Hawaii for the past six months had been expensive. Hell, I couldn't even afford my own place. I was currently living in Eddie's basement, which we had managed to turn into a studio apartment. It was perfect for me, as it only served as a place for me to sleep. I was never home otherwise.

So no, I couldn't justify getting into a relationship with anyone at this point in my life. I didn't have much spare time, and any extra money I had I sent back home. Not a life I needed to bring a woman into.

Maybe one day, though.

Adrian sighed, pulling me from my musings. "Trust me, I know what a dickhead my uncle is. I understand the need to take care of your family. But sooner or later, you're going to have to think about yourself for once." He turned to leave, mumbling something about having to go introduce the band, but before he left, he turned back. "You're the complete opposite to Randall Ivashkov, Dimitri. Even if you didn't work your ass off all the time, you're too good of a person to ever turn into him if that's what you're worried about."

He left after that, and I slumped against the wall. For all of my cousin's faults, he had the inept ability to see straight through me. That was my biggest fear: turning into my father.

Groaning, I pushed away from the wall. I could hear Adrian introduce Eddie's band, Compulsion, and I knew most of the crowd would have moved to the staging area. Though, I could hear some sort of commotion going on in front of the bar.

Grabbing the crate, I headed back out front in time to see a man and a young woman huddled closely at the counter. Well, the man was hovering, the woman looked as if she was leaning as far away from him as possible.

"No, thank you. I'm not the dancing type," the woman replied, cringing away from the man. I noticed her thin fingers tightening around her bottle of water like it was a lifeline. I couldn't see her features through the veil of dark hair covering most of her face.

"Aw, come on, honey. A pretty thing like you shouldn't be up here alone."

I turned away from them, busying myself with putting the alcohol away, but I kept them in my peripheral vision, just in case. I didn't like the way the man was pushing her, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions either, especially if she had a boyfriend or husband lurking around somewhere. I'd intervene if need be.

"I'm not alone," insisted the girl, her voice wavering slightly. "My boyfriend's just gone to the restroom. He'll be back any minute now."

She was obviously lying; the strangled fear laced in her voice was a dead giveaway.

Unfortunately, her would-be suitor noticed, too. He chuckled, low and seductive. "Just one dance. Your _boyfriend_ never needs to know."

"No, please just go away," she pleaded, her voice full of barely contained fear.

Anger ripped through me. It took everything in my power not to reach across the counter and pummel this guy into the floor. I took a deep breath and headed towards them.

I watched as he reached up to brush her cheek, causing her to move back far enough that her back hit the wall. "Aw, don't be like tha-"

"I believe the lady said no."

Their heads turned towards me. I watched as relief and gratitude flooded the woman's chocolate brown eyes. For the first time I noticed the bruises than ran along her cheek and jawline, cuts that marred her beautiful face. A car accident, maybe? No. Some of the bruises along her jaw were obviously caused by fingers. I had seen enough of those type of marks on my mother. I felt my blood burn. The rational part of my brain tried to tell me that those were days old, and most likely hadn't been caused by this idiot.

Regardless, he was the lucky one to be on the receiving end of my ire, even as he held up his hands in surrender. I snarled at him. "I suggest you take your idea of fun elsewhere before I remove you myself."

I waited until the man left before turning back to the girl. She was gazing at me, her brown eyes haunted, but she gave me a grateful smile and offered her hand to me. "Thank you. I'm Rose. Rose Hathaway."

I studied her for a moment, still trying to reign in my anger. Apart from her injuries, she was stunning. All dark brown hair and eyes to match. Judging by her accent, she wasn't from here. I guessed somewhere Northeast, and I vaguely wondered if this might be one of Eddie's friends from New York. I gauged her age to be between twenty-one to twenty-five years old.

Finally, I gave her a soft smile and accepted her hand, startled when a jolt of electricity shot through me from her warm touch. I cleared my throat. "I'm Dimitri. Dimitri Belikov."

 _Rose Hathaway._ Why did that name sound so familiar to me? I propped my arms on the counter and gazed at her. "It's nice to meet you, Rose Hathaway."

She bit her lip nervously, and I noticed her wince as she climbed back onto the bar stool she had recently vacated. It was then that I noticed her other arm was in a protective sling. "Do you often go out of your way to save damsels in distress?"

I snorted, grabbing a bar towel and wiping the counter top, as if trying to rid the surface of anything nasty that man might have left behind. "Hardly," I said honestly. I gestured towards her bottled water. "Can I get you anything else? Something stronger maybe?"

She shook her head and gave me a small, sad smile. "No, thank you. I don't drink."

I raised an eyebrow. "Not something I'm used to hearing from people here."

Rose breathed a laugh, though there wasn't much humor to it. "Not really my kind of place, honestly. I'm only here because my friend's band is playing."

I leaned on the counter again. Surprisingly, I found myself not willing to end our conversation just yet. Lucky for me, most of the patrons were still hovering around the stage. "Eddie?"

Her brown eyes widened as she finished off her water. "Yeah! Do you know him?"

So my suspicions had been correct, she was one of his New York friends. Perhaps her injuries had been caused by a mugging, though I didn't really believe it. There was a pain hidden in those deep brown eyes of hers, pain and perhaps shame. Something I remembered seeing in my mother's eyes many times. No. What had happened to her had been personal.

Realizing she was still waiting for an answer, I cleared my throat and nodded. "We've been friends for years. Eddie decided to move out here to help out his parents, so my cousin Adrian decided he wanted to try to open this place." I gestured around us. "I came out here about six months ago to help out."

She smiled, propping her chin on her good hand. "And you decided to stay?"

Shrugging, I took her empty bottle from her and tossed it into the trash bin. "Want another one?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks."

Moments later, a few patrons came up to order drinks. I reluctantly excused myself as I went to wait on them. I could feel her eyes on me as I moved to make their drinks, and I was surprised at the feeling the knowledge gave me. What was wrong with me? I barely knew this girl.

Finishing with my customers, I made my way back over to her. "So," I started, still not willing to let the conversation go, "what brings you to Haleiwa?"

Her slender fingers instinctively went up to touch her bruised cheek before she realized what she was doing and brushed that soft looking dark hair back over her face. "I'm a writer," she said meekly. "Or, well, I used to be. I used to do a lot of my writing here when my parents lived here. So, I came to try to recapture some of that."

Her dark eyes grew haunted again, and I had a feeling that wasn't the only reason she was here. I had the urge to reach up and brush the hair away from her face. I busied myself by wiping down the counter again. But then, her name finally registered with me. "Rose Hathaway. You write those Lily Adams books, don't you?"

She looked at me, surprised, a small smile tugging at the edges of her lips. "Don't tell me you're a fan. The target audience is teen and young adult."

I chuckled, tucking the towel into my back pocket. "Unfortunately, I haven't had the pleasure of reading your work. I tend to stick with western novels. But my baby sister, Viktoria, absolutely loves your books. She's been dying for the next one to be released."

Rose looked genuinely pleased. "Is she here on the island with you? Perhaps I can give her an autographed copy of one of my books, considering her brother was kind enough to rescue me tonight."

Was she _flirting_ with me? I scolded myself at the pleased shudder that coursed through me at the thought. _No_ , I decided. _She's simply grateful for the interruption._ I shook my head. "No, she's back home in Russia with the rest of my family."

Her brow furrowed in sympathy. "You have no family here? Aside from Adrian, I mean."

"No, it's just me."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, but before she would respond, a loud, thunderous applause broke out near the stage as Compulsion finished their final set. I had been so immersed into my conversation with Rose that I had missed most of their performance.

Apparently, she had been too, because she shot me a sheepish grin as she clapped along with the crowd. Moments later, a blonde bundle of energy came bouncing towards Rose and wrapped her arms gently around her shoulders. "They were amazing, weren't they?"

Rose nodded, and inclined her head towards me. "Lissa, this is Dimitri Belikov. He's a friend of Eddie's."

She extended her hand towards me with a kind smile. "Vasilisa Dragomir. Thank you for keeping Rose company."

I could see Rose roll her eyes and a blush spread across her cheeks, and I had to grin. "It was my pleasure."

Lissa eyed her friend suspiciously before shaking her head. "Eddie's just packing up and we can head off."

I felt a pang of disappointment in my chest, and immediately scolded myself. _You don't know this girl, you don't have time for a relationship,_ I told myself sternly.

Rose stifled a yawn as she stood stiffly from the stool and stretched, causing her shirt and jacket to rise up. My eyes immediately fell on the heavily bruised skin the movement revealed, and I could feel my anger return.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a card with my Nazar information printed on it. "Give me a call sometime," I said, and before I could stop myself, I scrawled my personal number on the back as well, and handed it to her.

My fingers lightly brushed hers as she accepted the card, and another tingling sensation shot through me. I was sure she had felt it too when she immediately pulled her arm back as if she'd been burned. She cleared her throat and gave me a soft smile. "It was nice to meet you, Dimitri."

"Likewise."

I watched as Rose and her friend moved to leave, when they were joined by a dark haired man, whose arms immediately went around the blonde's waist.

Rose spoke quietly to him in a fond, familiar manner. The man's head turned towards me, his cold blue eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion as he noticed me watching his friend. There was a fierce, protective gleam in those blue depths that I found reassuring. At least Rose had someone watching out for her.

Eddie joined them moments later, sending me a grin and a wave as he ushered the group out as something occurred to me. Rose and Eddie had grown up together, and while I wasn't sure if they were still close, perhaps she would have confided in him about what had happened to her.

I wasn't sure why I cared, and what was worse, was that I knew I shouldn't. I had just met the girl. She was beautiful and kind, and surely someone like her would have someone already, and even if she didn't... well…

That wasn't my role to fill.

* * *

I found Eddie later that night, and I told him about my encounter with Rose and the drunk man trying to hit on her. "I noticed all of the bruises on her, Eddie. Did she tell you what happened?"

My friend frowned as he leaned back on the couch, propping his ankle up on his knee. "She said she was mugged, though I admit, I'm not sure I believe her."

I leaned forward, propping my elbows up on my knees. 'Why?"

He shrugged. "Lissa and Christian got really weird when I brought it up, and Rose had this weird look in her eyes." He looked over at me then. "Plus, she just recently broke up with her fiancé. I've never met the guy, but you should have seen the look on Christian's face whenever his name was brought up." He sighed. "I think Jesse did that to her."

I nodded. "I think so, too. I just didn't want to jump to conclusions."

Eddie eyed me, his lip quirking. "Are you interested in my friend, Belikov? Because I approve if you do."

I laughed, rolling my eyes at him. "I don't even know her, Eddie. I'm interested in helping her, if she'll let us, but you of all people should know I don't have time to date."

He nodded, and gave me a dubious look. "That's your own doing, Dimitri. I know you get tired of hearing it, but you're going to wear yourself out if you don't give yourself some downtime." He sighed and stood. "I'll try to talk her into taking a few classes with us once she's healed." He paused and gave me a knowing look. "I'm still doing maintenance at her parent's place where's she staying if you wanna see her again."

Groaning, I stood and headed toward the stairs that would lead down into my studio apartment. "When did you and Adrian become my personal Match dot com?"

My friend laughed, but I didn't give him a chance to answer. I closed the door behind me, but not before I heard a loud "I didn't hear a no!" come through the door.


	6. Chapter 6

****AN:**** Just a fair warning, this chapter does contain slight gore. Also, I keep forgetting to mention that as I write, I update my profile with the story's progress, so if you're ever interested in seeing how far the chapter is coming along, just head over there :). I'm also __trying__ to work on a special project for CF, but I'm going to keep that a secret on what it is for now, because frankly, I don't know how it's going to go lol. If it goes well, I'll post it to Tumblr or over on LiveJournal. Either way, I'll give you guys a link when/if it's ready.

A huge thank you to everyone who was so kind enough to leave a review for the previous chapter. You guys are amazing and have no idea what it means to me! So thank you to: justmeanyways, Blissangel91494, ilovesos9467, swimmer07, , Ims86, maggiescousin, Artamisofthehunt, Gigi256, and guest!

 **This chapter has been revised as of 01/09/2017. A huge thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for all of her hard work on helping me revamp this fic!**

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 ***Rose***

"I think you should go for it," Lissa said with a smirk as she flopped herself down onto the leather sofa later that night. Eddie had just dropped us off.

"I don't," Christian growled, settling himself down beside his girlfriend. "You only just got away from Jesse, Rose. The last thing you need is to get right back into a relationship."

I rolled my eyes at the two of them as I headed into the connecting kitchen for a bottled water. We'd had yet to make it to a grocery store to stock up on food, but Eddie and his parents had been kind enough to buy us a few essentials until we were able to do so.

"It's only his business card," I told them, attempting to take the lid off of the bottle, only to wince at the pain that surged through my arm. Christian rolled his eyes, reaching his arm out to take the bottle, and opened it for me before handing it back. I smiled in thanks. "It's not like he was trying to solicit me."

"At least that would be something," Lissa said, deadpan. "How long has it been since you've had any... fulfillment?"

I shook my head furiously after taking a sip of water. "Nope. We are _not_ having this conversation, _especially_ in front of him," I said, gesturing towards the male.

"Thank God," Christian mumbled, resting his head back against the couch.

Rolling her eyes, Lissa ignored him and turned back to me. "How long, Rose?"

With a loud groan, Christian grabbed the nearest pillow and pressed his face into it. "Can I go? I don't really want to listen to someone I consider a sister talk about her sex life. That's just... gross."

"Thanks," I said dryly, settling into the overstuffed armchair next to them.

Lissa snapped her fingers, trying to regain my attention. Evidently she wasn't willing to let this go. "How long, Rose?"

Christian groaned, the sound muffled by the pillow. "Still sitting here, ladies."

I sighed. "It's been... a long time."

She studied me. "A long time since you've had sex, or a long time since it was pleasurable for _you?_ "

"Am I being ignored?" Christian demanded to no one in particular. "'Cause I feel like I'm being ignored."

Averting Lissa's gaze, I focused my eyes on the natural stone flooring. I knew this conversation would have come up eventually, but it was the last thing I wanted to discuss, especially in front of Christian. The truth was, I hadn't even thought about sex in any sort of pleasurable scenario in so long, I honestly couldn't even remember.

For the past few years, sex between Jesse and I had been nothing but mechanical and had never been about my enjoyment. Only his.

This wasn't something I felt comfortable sharing with anyone. Even Lissa. She was my closest, dearest friend. Hell, we'd been inseparable since we were in diapers. But this was... private. Embarrassing. I knew that my friends would never judge me, nor would they consider me weak.

But that exactly what I was. Weak.

I had been such a blind fool. Trying to convince myself that he had, in fact, loved me despite his treatment of me and that he regretted his actions by apologizing with gifts. I had been stupid enough to believe it. The gifts had been nothing more than his way to continue to control me, to "keep me in my place," so to speak.

My eyes slowly met her intense stare, silently pleading for her to drop the subject, for now at the very least.

Her jade eyes met mine, widening slightly as if in understanding. She sighed, the corners of her lips quirking up as her eyes cut over towards her uncomfortable lover. "I guess we'll need to get you a vibrator, then."

Spluttering, Christian haphazardly flipped the pillow from his face and stood abruptly. "And with _that,_ I'm going to bed. Thanks for the nightmares, ladies."

Lissa and I watched him scurry out of the room before turning back to each other, erupting into a fit of giggles.

Once our laughter died down, the blonde patted the now empty spot next to her. I complied, settling down slowly so as not to jostle my ribs or arm, and laid my head in her lap. Lissa immediately started messing with my hair, and I closed my eyes in bliss.

We were silent for several moments, and the sensation of my best friend playing with my hair was quickly lulling me to sleep. Finally, she spoke, her voice soft and comforting. "Are you going to call him?" she asked. "I was watching you guys for a while, and I could tell he was into you."

I looked up at her and shook my head. "I'm not ready, Liss," I whispered honestly. I had to admit, Dimitri was incredibly sexy, especially with that accent. "I'm... scared to get involved with someone else. I-I don't know if I ever will be."

I watched as my best friend bit her lip. Her expression slowly hardened as she finally decided what to say. "Rose, I've watched Jesse slowly suck the life out of you for the past two, nearly three years," she said, her voice determined. "I want to see you deliriously happy for once in your life, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let your fear destroy you."

I breathed a laugh, though there wasn't much humor behind it. "It was just his business card, Liss," I reminded her. "it doesn't mean anything."

She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But let's say that it _does_ mean something, and for argument's sake, let's say that you were completely over Jesse. Would you date him then?"

I shot her an exasperated expression. "Did you actually _look_ at him? The man's gorgeous. Hell, yeah I would!"

Lissa giggled, giving my hair a gentle tug. "Now _that_ sounds like the Rose Hathaway that I used to know."

I smiled, extracting myself from her lap, and stood slowly. "Well, I think I'm going to go to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Me, too," she agreed, stifling a yawn, then her eyes suddenly brightened. "Hey, why don't we do a little shopping tomorrow? You need some new clothes and you have to replace your laptop anyway."

I nodded in agreement. The entire reason we had come to Hawaii was so that I could work. I agreed to the trip before giving my friend a hug, then I headed to bed. It didn't take long after my head had hit the pillow for me to fall asleep.

Unfortunately for me, it wasn't a peaceful night's rest.

* * *

 _Strong, calloused fingers dance sensually across the skin of my shoulders, drawing a path of intricate patterns across my heated skin, the touches so gentle and loving they cause a shiver of desire to surge down my spine._

 _Soft lips brush across the nape of my neck, trailing slowly up my jaw to the sensitive spot just behind my ear. I cannot see the man who is causing such delicious sensations to coarse through my body, and when I try to turn to face him, his arms slide around my waist, pulling my back flush against the front of his body. My desire spikes as I feel just how happy he is to be there._

 _Trying to clear my head from its passion induced haze, I try to discern exactly where I am, and who I am with. The room we're standing in is dimly lit and unfamiliar. Looking down, I notice I am wearing only my pajamas; a black tanktop and a skimpy pair of shorts. The realization causes me to feel a little uneasy, pushing back some of the lust for the moment. Why am I in this strange place with a stranger in so little clothing?_

 _He says my name, his warm breath tickling my ear and reigniting my ardor. His voice, though vaguely familiar, is not the one I'm expecting, its soft cadence sending tingles over my flesh. But try as I might, my mind cannot picture the face that goes along with it._

 _My treacherous body, however, responds immediately to the velvety soft voice, pressing back against him instinctively. I want more of this mystery man's touch, needing those soft lips of his on me once more._

 _As if reading my mind, the man presses his hips into mine, causing a needy breath to escape my mouth before I can stop it. He chuckles darkly, pressing a smile into the curve of my shoulder._

 _He's whispering words I cannot understand in a language I'm unfamiliar with as his hands begin to explore my body, trailing a teasing path up and down my sides before pausing momentarily at the hem of my tanktop. Slowly, he slips his fingers underneath the thin fabric._

 _I release a ragged breath I didn't know I was holding, my body enjoying this man's touch as deft fingers make contact once again with my bare skin. My eyes flutter shut as he traces a slow, tantalizing path across the smooth plains of my stomach._

 _It had been so long since I had been touched with such a tenderness that it nearly brings me to tears. I arch into him, my body desperately wanting his hands lower on my body. Once again, I try to turn in his arms, but the man's hold on me tightens, restricting any movement as his hands settle above my abdomen._

 _My eyes fly open as something in the atmosphere shifts, the scene around me taking on a darker, more dangerous edge. A sense of foreboding settles into the pit of my stomach as the man's embrace tightens further, his touches becoming more insistent, more demanding, and far less gentle._

 _The pressure of his fingers around me increases, cutting off my air supply. White hot pain shoots through me as his blunt nails suddenly sharpen, biting into my stomach and tearing away the thin layers of skin. Hot tears spring to my eyes and I try to scream, try with every ounce of strength I have left to free myself. "Stop! Please, please, stop!"_

 _He laughs, a dark, sinister sound that I can just barely hear over my screams for help. "No one can hear you, Rose."_

 _No. This can't be happening. My fear multiplies and I redouble my efforts to escape. This voice is not the same as the one with the soothing velvet voice with the gentle touches. No, this is a voice I know well._

 _"You're pathetic, Rose. I warned you not to leave me, but you didn't listen. I told you that no one wanted a battered and weak woman. Now, I'm going to make sure no one is ever going to want you again. I'm going to_ break _you."_

 _Blood. There is so much blood. I can feel the sticky substance running down my bare legs, dripping onto the floor to pool at my feet._

 _"Jesse, please," I whimper, my head spinning from the lack of oxygen and the pain in my gut. I can feel the last of my strength drain away the deeper his fingers probe the gaping wound he has left in my stomach. He finally releases me as my knees buckle and I sink to the floor into the puddle of my own blood._

 _I feel Jesse loom over me as I cling desperately to life. I'm not sure if it's from blood loss, the debilitating pain, or the fact that I am holding onto consciousness by a thread, but Jesse's appearance seems to shift. His translucent blonde hair darkens into a medium brown. His baby blues are now a gorgeous shade of the richest chocolate. Even from my position on the floor, I can tell that even his height increased._

 _It is no longer Jesse standing above me, but Dimitri Belikov. The bartender for the Kahu. I try to speak, but can only manage a strangled sob._

 _Slowly, he kneels down beside me. I try to flinch away as he reaches out and brushes his fingertips across my damp cheek. The touch is gentle once more, his expression one of pure sadness and regret._

 _He opens his mouth to speak, but it is Jesse's voice that flows from him. "Why do you make me do these things, Rose?"_

I shot up in bed, desperately gasping for air. Frantically, my hands shot to my stomach, and I breathed a sigh of relief that I wasn't actually bleeding out.

I ran my shaking hands through my tangled hair as I tried to calm my ragged breathing. _What the hell was that?_

Tossing back the covers, wincing as the motion pulled at my sore muscles, I glanced over at my clock and groaned. It was only four fifteen in the morning, but I knew there was no way I'd be getting back to sleep after _that._

I padded my way to the bathroom, the hardwood floor cool on my bare feet. After doing my business, I splashed cold water on my face, grimacing as I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the gilded mirror. The bruises on my face and neck were slowly fading, but they were still an angry purple, yellowing around the edges.

I turned away, unable to look at myself anymore, and left the bathroom. I desperately needed coffee, but before I left the bedroom, I grabbed a crocheted blanket from the closet, smiling briefly when I recognized it as one my grandmother had made for my mother for her birthday one year.

Exiting the bedroom, I draped the blanket over my shoulders and made my way to the kitchen, wincing as the cold stones touched my bare feet. I made a mental note to pick up some flipflops while we were on our shopping spree later today.

Coffee made, and making sure I left a note for Lissa and Christian, I made my way to the back patio, taking care to cut the alarm system before stepping outside. Despite being in a tropical environment, it _was_ November, so the morning air was a little chilly. I gingerly made my way down the stone path to the gate that would lead me to the beach and the ocean beyond. I smiled as the salty sweet air and the sounds of the waves assaulted my senses, a soothing balm to my still rattled nerves.

I settled myself onto one of the lounge chairs, taking a sip of my coffee, enjoying the warm liquid and the sounds of the waves as they kissed the shore. Sunrise wasn't for a couple of hours, but I was content to sit and wait. Pulling the blanket over my bare legs, I sat my now empty mug aside and leaned my head back as I tried to clear my mind of that horrible nightmare.

It had started off so nicely. I was inclined to blame Lissa for my subconscious' treacherous behavior. I felt my body warm from just the thought of those hands, _Dimitri's_ hands, I now knew, skimming over my body. What that could mean scared me. I had just met the man, and while I had no delusions that he was incredibly sexy, I knew _nothing_ about him, except that he was a bartender and his little sister was a fan of my books. But that was it.

The second part, funnily enough, wasn't much of a surprise or anything new. I'd had more than my fair share of nightmares since Jesse became violent. But dreaming about a guy I had just met? Yeah, that was a new one. I closed my eyes and sighed. _What was wrong with me?_

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, I was being gently coaxed awake by a soft nudge to my knee. I slowly opened my blurry eyes, trying to focus on the shadowy figure.

"Rose?" came the accented voice that broke through my sleep-induced haze, as if my own subconsciousness had summoned him to reality. His expression was one of amusement with a touch of concern and a hint of a smile curling his lips. "Are you okay?"

I jumped, wincing once again as it jarred my ribs. "Shit, that hurt."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said gently. "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Dimitri, from-"

"From the bar. Yeah, I remember." I gave him a tired smile as I tried to calm my racing heart. I stared up at him, his body outlined by the sun that was just starting to peek over the horizon. I gestured to the empty lounge chair next to me. "How could I forget my knight in shining armor?"

 _Especially when you're even showing up in my dreams._

His lips quirked up slightly as he took a seat.

"What has you out here at this time of morning?" I asked, suddenly wishing I had thought to run a brush through my hair before venturing out here.

He chuckled, pulling his ear buds from his ears and stuffing them into his pocket. "I could ask you the same thing."

I snorted and rolled my eyes at him, unsure if he could see it due to the dim light. "Easy, Comrade. Cryptic answers like that will lead me to believe you're stalking me or something."

I was rewarded with a gorgeous smile from the man next to me, a smile that caused the corners of his eyes to crinkle and a small dimple to appear in his right cheek. He laughed, and the sound caressed my skin like silk. "Comrade?" He chuckled and shook his head. "And no, I'm not stalking you. I've run by this house every day at the same time for the past six months that I've been here."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "You live close by?"

He nodded. "Not too far, about two miles back. I live with Eddie, actually."

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching as the sun rose, when I heard him make a pleased sound in the back of his throat. I looked over at him questioningly. "Hmm?"

He was facing the ocean, but I could see a small smile playing on his lips. "This is the first time I've been able to enjoy the sunrise with someone," he said honestly, and he turned towards me. "It's nice."

There was something sad in his brown eyes that tugged at my heart. "Well," I replied nervously. "I'm not entirely sure how long I'll be here, but I'm sure I'll have many more sleepless nights. Maybe we could enjoy the sunrise together on those mornings?"

He stared at me, his expression unreadable, and I internally kicked myself for opening my big mouth. I started to make a joke out of it, but he smiled that gorgeous smile again and my breath hitched.

"I'd like that, Roza."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** **This chapter has been revised as of 01/09/2017! A massive thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for all of her help with revamping this fic!**

I had a bit of trouble with this chapter, so I hope it comes out okay. These two are fighting me with everything they have to pounce on each other (mostly Dimitri), when I need them to take things slow. Also, don't worry, the repeated dialogue won't continue. It's only here because their last two encounters have overlapped with one another.

I want to thank everyone for their continued support of this story with the follows and lovely reviews. You guys make my day. Special thanks to those who were kind enough to leave a review on the previous chapter: Blissangel91494, omarosa27, ilovesos9467, swimmer07, maggiescousin, Gigi256, Ims86, BethanyRose92, Artamisofthehunt (for the PM), and guest!

 ***Please see end of chapter notes for my companion project details***

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 ***Dimitri***

I wasn't typically the type of guy who put much stock in fate. I definitely wasn't the kind of guy who watched out for signs, or believed in soulmates, or anything of that particular nature. I didn't believe that my life already had a predetermined course of events that would map out my future.

My grandmother, Yeva, however, was one of those types of people. She would argue with you until she was blue in the face to get her beliefs across, and god forbid someone disagree with her, because they would never hear the end of it. I loved my grandmother dearly, but she was just as crazy as she was intuitive.

Honestly, though, it was more than a little frightening how she was proven right more often than not.

No, I certainly wasn't one to believe in destiny, or beliefs surrounding it. However, with the way my morning had already started, it made one want to reconsider.

For starters, I had woken up earlier than usual from a rather intimate dream starring myself and Rose Hathaway. The dream had been intense, which left me with my heart pounding in my chest and a rather uncomfortable throbbing elsewhere. However, I could chalk that up to basic male hormones and the fact that I had met a pretty girl whom I spent the majority of the previous night talking to or about. Perfectly normal and logical.

Things started to get a little strange, however, when I called my family, as I did daily. I woke up every morning at four forty-five so that I could call them. We had a system going so that I could spend about five to ten minutes talking to each of them, to save on long distance costs, starting with my mother first, then to my sisters and my nieces and nephews, and save my grandmother for last. So, when my mother informed me that Yeva was insisting on speaking to me first, I immediately began worrying about her health.

That, of course, hadn't lasted long when she started telling me about a dream she'd had. She told me that in her _vision_ \- her word, not mine – she'd seen that I would meet a very pretty girl who I would be drawn to instantly. The woman she described fit Rose in excruciating detail, down to the bruises on her face.

Yeva had gone on about how this girl was hurting and was just as broken on the inside as she was on the outside, and was in desperate need of someone to help her put the pieces back together. My grandmother insisted that this person was me.

 _"Don't be foolish, boy,"_ she had said when I had used my usual I-can't-afford-a-girlfriend-right-now mantra. _"She is your match, Dimka. She will be a challenge, but don't give up on her. Do not dismiss her. You will need each other,"_ she had told me, her voice deadly serious. _"Your happiness in the end will make everything worth the fight."_

I hadn't really felt like talking much after that, so I cut my conversation with my family short. My day was definitely off to a weird start. And, of course, it only escalated two miles into my morning run.

I'd nearly run past her. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, so the lighting was minimum. But something inside me made me do a double-take.

And there she was, curled up on a lounge chair on the beach at five fifty-six in the morning, fast asleep with a blanket nestled in her lap.

I swallowed hard, everything from earlier this morning coming back to me in waves; my very arousing dream, Yeva's so-called premonition, and now the source of both subconscious anomalies was here in the flesh.

My dream hadn't done justice to her beauty. Even bruised and battered, she was lovely. Her dark chocolate brown hair was sleep tousled and disheveled which only seemed to add to her angelic features.

I don't know how long I stood there just watching her sleep. Logically, I knew it was probably more than a little creepy and borderline voyeuristic, but I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I knew she probably wouldn't appreciate a near stranger watching her in this vulnerable state. Slowly, I made my way closer, quiet so as not to startle her. I gently nudged her leg. "Roza?"

The only answer I got was a soft, contented sigh as she pulled the blanket up under her chin. Smiling, I nudged her again, and I tried to suppress a laugh when I noticed the tiniest bit of dried drool on the corner of her lip. "Rose? Are you okay?"

She jumped awake, and I cringed internally as she gasped in pain and clutched her ribs. "Shit, that hurt."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," I apologized, mentally chastising myself. She was glaring at me, perhaps with a little uncertainty, and it occurred to me that she may not even remember who I was. _Smooth, Belikov._ "I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Dimitri. From the -"

"The bar." Her face softened and a smile touched her lips. "Yeah, I remember." She gestured towards the empty lounge chair beside her. "How could I forget my knight in shining armor?"

I studied her for a moment, pleased that she did, in fact, remember me. A sense of pride swelled in my chest at being referred to as her "knight in shining armor," and I tried, and failed, to suppress a grin as I pulled my earbuds from my ears and accepted the offered chair.

"So," she started, with amusement and perhaps a hint of apprehension as she regarded me intently. I watched, transfixed as her fingers slid through her hair in an attempt to tame the tousled mane. I found myself wanting to bury my own fingers in her tresses and discover if it was as soft and silky as it seemed. "What has you out here at this time of morning?"

Forcing those feelings aside, I chuckled as I shoved my earbuds into the pockets of my tracksuit pants, mostly to keep my hands busy. "I could ask you the same thing."

I grinned as I noticed her roll those pretty brown eyes at me and snorted with amusement. "Easy, Comrade. Cryptic answers like that will lead me to believe you're stalking me or something."

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "Comrade?" I grinned, shaking my head. This girl was something else. My laughter died as it occurred to me that she might actually think I'm stalking her. Crap. I flashed her a smile that I hoped was reassuring and non-threatening. "And no, I'm not stalking you. I've run by this house every day, at the same time, for the past six months that I've been here."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You live close by?"

I nodded and gestured behind me. "Not far, about two miles back. I live with Eddie, actually."

A companionable silence settled over us as we turned our attention to the sunrise and the amazing array of colors it brought with it.

It had been a very long time since I'd had anyone to share moments like this with. So long in fact that I had nearly forgotten how nice it felt to not be alone. Sure, I had Adrian and Eddie in my life, but they both had significant others that took up a large majority of their time. And while they tried to include me when they could, it was always awkward being the odd man out. My jobs mostly kept my mind busy and focused on other things during the day and evenings, but it was the late nights and early mornings that the loneliness struck me. But up until now, I had been able to block it out.

I didn't have the time or the finances to indulge in the pleasure of having a girlfriend. Money was a trivial reason not to date, but I was old fashioned. I wanted to be able to take the special person in my life out to a nice dinner and spoil her. But it would have to take someone pretty special for me to forgo my set ways. I had a family back home in Siberia to help support and that took precedence over everything else.

But I couldn't deny that I felt a powerful connection to Rose that I couldn't explain. She was beautiful and funny, and for the time being, I could indulge myself in the illusion of not being alone. It felt... nice. A sound of utter contentment escaped my throat before I could stop it.

"Hmm?" Rose asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her shooting me a questioning glance.

I gave her an embarrassed smile in return, thankful I wasn't really the type of guy who blushed easily and that she couldn't see inside my head. I could easily make up something to tell her that didn't make me sound so pathetic, but I found myself wanting to be honest with her. So, I was. "This is the first time I've been able to enjoy the sunrise with someone. It's nice."

She must have seen something in my expression that showed my inner turmoil, because her face softened and she rewarded me with a small, shy smile. "Well," she started, nibbling nervously on her bottom lip. "I'm not entirely sure how long I'm going to be here, but I'm sure I will have many more sleepless nights. Maybe we could enjoy the sunrise on those mornings?"

Surprised, I searched her face as a warm feeling spread through me. Here was this gorgeous woman, someone I barely knew, offering to spend time with me. She didn't know me. Could she possibly feel the same connection that I felt? A part of me - a very small part - wanted to decline, because I knew that if I spent more time with this girl, I would be doomed. I already felt this undeniable attraction to her, and something in me screamed at me that it was only the beginning.

But if Eddie and I were correct in our assumption, Rose was just getting out of an abusive relationship and had obviously been through a lot. That would be a lot of baggage to take on. Was I really prepared for that? Even if, somehow, she felt even a shred of the electricity between us that I could feel, she would need time to heal, both physically and mentally. And if she didn't feel it, I wasn't sure I was up for the disappointment.

My grandmother's words came rushing back to me as I watched Rose nervously awaiting my answer. _"Don't dismiss her. She's your match, Dimka."_

Should I give this, whatever this was, a chance? Could I? Could I put aside all of my worries to see if this might actually lead to something? Hell, Rose didn't even live here. She'd said herself that she wasn't sure how long she was going to be on the island. Could I risk the possibility of falling for this girl only to have her eventually leave?

Of course, I was getting ahead of myself. There wasn't a guarantee that this would progress beyond friendship. Aside from a few blushes and dubious flirting, she'd given me no indication that she was even remotely interested in me. Though the nervous fidgeting that she was exhibiting at the moment gave me hope.

And the truth was, I wanted to spend time with this girl. I wanted to get to know her. I would try this. If this turned out to be nothing more than a developing friendship, I'd accept that wholeheartedly. If Yeva was right, well...we'd see where things went from there.

"Your happiness in the end will be worth the fight."

Resolved, I flashed her a grin as my heart pounded an erratic rhythm in my chest. "I'd like that, Roza."

Her answering smile was shy, but I could see the relief on her face, along with that lovely blush returning to her cheeks. "Roza? I'm guessing that's Russian equivalent of Rose?"

I nodded, unwilling to tell her it was also meant as a term of endearment. "Does it bother you?"

She shook her head, her blush deepening just a little. "No, I... I like the way you say it."

I couldn't help but chuckle as her eyes widened at her admission, clearly embarrassed. She averted her gaze quickly. Well, that was promising. I decided to change the subject for her benefit. "So, tell me about yourself, Roza."

Rose snorted. "Not much to say, really." She reached down and picked up an empty mug next to her chair that I hadn't noticed. She crinkled her nose before turning her attention back to me. "Would you like to come in for some coffee? I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but I could use another cup."

I glanced down at my watch, surprised to see we'd already been sitting here for nearly an hour. On a typical day, I would have already been on my way back from my run. However, my first class wasn't until nine today, so I had time. I wasn't ready to relinquish her company just yet. "Sure, that sounds great."

She grinned and stood slowly, and as she did so I could see that the bruises even extended down her long, shapely legs and I could feel my anger rise. I somehow managed to keep my mouth shut about it. It wasn't any of my business. Not yet.

As I followed her up the path to her house, she stayed true to her word and answered any questions I asked as she started a new batch of coffee. She told me that she had grown up in rural Pennsylvania, but had moved to New York after graduating from college where her friend had started his publishing company.

I, in turn, told her about my family in Siberia. The expression on her face was comical when I told her that my three sisters, my nephew, and two nieces all lived in the same house. I chuckled as she shook her head in disbelief. "What?"

"I just couldn't imagine having such a large family. It must be amazing. I don't have any aunts or uncles on either side of my family, and I'm an only child. Lissa was the closest I had to siblings growing up," she explained, placing a steaming mug in front of me. "How long has it been since you last saw them?"

I shrugged, watching as she added two Splenda packets and low fat milk to hers, committing that to memory for future reference. "I haven't been able to go home in...ten years? I was able to fly my mother out to Montana for Christmas a few years ago."

Her lovely brown eyes widened as she lowered her mug down to the table, her brow crinkled in earnest sympathy. "You haven't been home in ten years?"

Shaking my head, I took another sip of my plain, black coffee and lowered my gaze to the wooden table. The sincere empathy in her expression was too much. "Tickets are expensive, but I call them every morning. It's not nearly enough, but it's something."

"Why not Skype?"

I shook my head. "That was my plan, initially, but I was only able to afford a computer for them. I figured with Viktoria still in school, they needed it more than I did."

Rose must have heard the longing in my voice because she reached her free hand over and placed her warm hand over mine, giving my fingers a gentle squeeze, sending an electrical current rushing through my entire body. "I'm sorry. I know it can't be easy to be so far away." She paused, pursing her lips together in thought. "Lissa and I are going shopping today, and I'm going to have to replace my laptop for work. You're more than welcome to use it to call your family. Whenever you want."

I stared at her, not knowing what to say. This woman continued to surprise me. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze in return. "That's...that's incredibly kind of you, Roza, but I couldn't impose on you like that."

She scoffed. "Don't be silly. It's the least I can do for what you did for me at the bar. Besides," her shy smile was back, and it hadn't escaped my notice that she had yet to pull her hand back, "you're the first new friend I've made in a long time, and I'd like to help you reconnect with your family."

The urge to pull her across the table and capture those lovely lips with my own was overwhelming, but before I could do more than tighten my hold on her hand, she gave mine another squeeze and pulled back, a kind smile on her face. "I wanted to thank you for what you did. I'm...I'm not good in those types of situations."

"No need to thank me, Roza." I gazed at her, resting my forearms on the table. "I know it might not be any of my business, but those bruises…you told Eddie you were mugged. It's not true, is it?"

Those brown eyes immediately looked away and she fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair. It told me everything I needed to know. "Your ex-boyfriend did that to you, didn't he?"

Rose wouldn't look at me, but I could see tears begin to pool in her eyes. Pushing my chair back, I stood and moved to kneel in front of her. "Roza, look at me."

Slowly, her eyes met mine and I could see the fear and shame embedded deep within those brown depths and I felt my heart clench. I took her hand in mine at once. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Roza. You did nothing wrong, and it's nothing for you to be ashamed of. You are not weak, but the idiot who did this to you is."

She was visibly shaking now and I felt like a heel for bringing it up. Standing, I gently tugged on her hand and pulled her up to me, mindful of her injured arm, and wrapped mine around her, cradling her against my chest as she cried.

We stood like that for a long time, while I attempted to sooth her broken sobs. I closed my eyes at the feel of her body pressed against mine, and the scent of her, a blend of honeysuckle and oranges, assaulted my senses. My fingers threaded their way through her hair of their own volition. "Don't cry, Roza," I heard myself whisper into her hair. "You're way too pretty to look so sad."

The woman in my arms slowly gazed up at me, tear tracks staining her beautiful face as her sobbing finally began to subside. Using the pad of my thumbs, I gently brushed the tears away. I felt myself lower my head towards hers…

"Hey, I smell coffee - what the fuck?" a voice demanded, forcing us apart. I turned to see the man who had given me a death glare at the club, with a similar look on his face as he trained those cold blue eyes on me.

The blonde, Lissa, I remembered, stood directly behind him, her jade green eyes wide in shock and a small, pleased smile quirked on her lips.

Rose quickly wiped her cheeks and smiled at our intruders. "Christian, this is Dimitri. We met at the bar last night. Liss, you remember Dimitri."

"I sure do." She grinned, extending her hand to me.

I took it, embarrassed, before turning to offer my hand to Christian. "Nice to meet you."

He glared at me suspiciously, and after a few moments finally accepted the gesture. "Christian."

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He likes to play big brother to our girl over here," she informed me, placing her arm over Rose's shoulders. "He can be a little over-protective."

Christian grumbled and moved past us, heading to the cabinet to get his own cup of coffee. "It's far too early in the morning for surprises, that's all."

 _That_ we could agree on at least. I cleared my throat and turned back to Rose. "I should probably go. Thank you for the coffee."

Rose nodded, her face flushed. "I'll walk you out."

I could feel Christian shooting daggers at my retreating form. It made me feel a little better that she had someone who was so protective of her around.

I turned to her as we reached the door. "Listen, I'm sorry I brought that stuff up before." She raised her hand, trying to brush off my apology, but I continued. "I know you're not physically up to it yet, but I teach a self defense course in the afternoons. You don't have to participate until you're ready, but I think it would be good for you." I paused, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. "Plus, it would give me another excuse to hang out with you."

She chewed on her bottom lip, considering. "I'll think about it."

I grinned, feeling hopeful. "That's all I ask."

"I'll see you soon, Roza." I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning and jogging down the long driveway without looking back in fear she'd see the ridiculously large smile on my face.

The smile didn't last, however, as my mind began to wonder as I made my way home. I had nearly kissed her! Guilt began to wash over me. What had I been thinking? I had only meant to offer comfort, but my traitorous body had acted of its own accord. I had been fighting the urge since her kind offer to use her computer to see my family.

She had been completely vulnerable and I had nearly taken advantage of it. I was no better than the asshole who had hurt her.

I couldn't deny it, I wanted Rose Hathaway with every fiber of my being. But I had to be smart about this. She had just gotten out of an abusive relationship and the last thing she needed was me fawning all over her. What she needed was a friend; someone to help her put the pieces back together.

So that's what I would be. I would put my feelings aside and be there for her. In whatever capacity she needed me.

If she even wanted to see me again.

* * *

 **For those wondering about the side-project, I've begun posting behind-the-scenes images on Tumblr. For those who don't know, aside from writing, I'm heavily into gaming as well. So while writing this, I decided to do a visual companion piece using The Sims 2. While I'm somewhat limited to what I can use, I'm going to do my best to try to match it as much as I can. So far I've only posted BTS photoshoots, but once those are finished, I'll begin working on the actual chapter content. If you're interested, you can find it here (just be sure to remove the spaces):**

 **chasingfreedomsims . tumblr . com (1/09/2017: this project is currently on hold until I get a new computer that will run the game)**


	8. Chapter 8

First, I want to apologize for the delay of this chapter. I had a few medical issues come up that kept me from writing as much as I wanted. I was diagnosed with moderate to severe carpal tunnel a few years ago, and a week or so ago I developed a knot on my left wrist. Needless to say, it made it quite painful to type.

 **AN: This chapter has been revised as of 01/10/2017. A huge thank you to my friend and beta, Mordinette, for all of her help with getting these chapters fixed! Everything beyond this chapter will be all new content :)**

A huge thank you to those who left reviews on the last chapter: ilovesos9467, Lisablackrose, Artamisofthehunt, maggiescousin, and guest! You guys are truly amazing, and I appreciate your taking the time out to leave a comment! A special thank you to Gigi256 and Artamisofthehunt of your PMs and just talking to me through some of my darker moments! It meant the world to me.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 ***Rose***

"So," Lissa started as she followed me into the changing room with an arm full of clothes that she tossed down onto the bench. We'd left Christian - much to his relief - at Best Buy to pick out a laptop for me while Lissa decided to drag me into countless clothing stores. "Are we going to talk about what happened this morning?"

I rolled my eyes, at both her question, and the ridiculous pile of clothes. "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied. I knew _exactly_ what was on her mind, because it was the only thing on mine.

 _Dimitri._ Had I been imagining it, or had he tried to kiss me? I _had_ to have been imagining it. He barely knew me! And honestly, how could a man like _that_ be interested in a girl like _me?_

What surprised me even more was just how badly I had _wanted_ that kiss. I wanted it just as much as I feared it. In truth, I had never wanted a kiss so badly. The intense, smokey look in those warm brown eyes of his seemed to pierce right through me, as if he could see my soul, and liked what he saw. The way those eyes had traveled from mine and seemed to linger on my lips had been intoxicating.

It was so strange. I had never felt such an undeniable pull towards someone, not even Jesse. Not the way I did for Dimitri.

It was completely irrational, this almost instantaneous attraction for someone I'd just met, I knew. But there it was, and it was very real.

"You are such a bad liar, Rose," Lissa chided as she pulled her shirt over her head and grabbed another one from the pile to try on. "You like him. Dimitri, I mean."

I ignored her, instead focusing my attention on trying to pull up the pair of jeans I was trying on one handed. What the hell had I been thinking when I had agreed to this shopping trip? It was damn near impossible with my arm in a sling. _I can't wait to get rid of this thing,_ I thought irritably.

"I knew you liked him," she continued, twisting her body around to check out her profile in the floor length mirror. "I think he would be good for you. I saw the look on his face. _My God_ , Rose. He wants you. Bad."

I sighed as I finally shimmied the jeans up my hips, trying to ignore the shiver of delight that ran through me. In truth, the feeling was very much mutual. "I told you last night Liss, it's too soon. Honestly, I don't think I could trust anyone on that sort of level right now."

Not that I thought Dimitri was anything like Jesse. Hell, the man taught a women's self-defense class so that people like me could defend themselves against men like him. But I just couldn't open myself up to someone else romantically. Not yet. My heart was still too raw.

For all of my patented Rose Hathaway bravado, I was heartbroken. Jesse had been such a huge part of my life for so long, and I had truly been in love with him once. We'd had a good thing once, and I had been happy. It was hard to let that go.

I caught Lissa's sympathetic expression in the mirror's reflection. "I'm not saying sleep with him, Rose. But what harm could it do to just go on a date with him? You deserve something good in your life for once. And who knows? This guy could end up being the one for you."

"Maybe," I said, unconvinced. "But I thought the same thing about Jesse."

There wasn't much Lissa could say to that, so she decided to, thankfully, change the subject. "Thanksgiving is next week. Christian's parents want us to fly up to Pennsylvania for a couple of days." She paused, glancing over at me. "You know you're more than welcome to come with us."

I winced internally. I had forgotten all about Thanksgiving. This was a well-worn argument between Lissa and I, one that had been going on since my parents died. Every holiday, she and Christian would try to convince me to join them at one of their relative's houses, and every year I turned them down. Mostly due to the fact that I'd spent the majority of the holidays with Jesse's family. I had a feeling they would be pushing extra hard this year so that I wouldn't be alone.

"Thanks, Liss. But I think I'm going to stay here and work on the book," I replied, carefully slipping on a navy blue wrap dress that Lissa had apparently smuggled into my pile of clothes.

She turned to scold me, but it died on her lips when she saw me and her eyes widened. "Rose, that looks amazing on you. You _have_ to get it." She made her way over to me and helped tie the sash around my waist. "Seriously, Rose. You have to buy this."

The dress _was_ pretty. I turned my body to get a better look. It had been a very long time since I'd worn anything like this. It was made of chiffon, with capped sleeves, and it actually fit my body nicely. The skirt was shorter than I was used to, cutting off just below mid thigh. Jesse would have never allowed me to wear something this short in public.

I scowled at my reflection, noticing the blotchy bruises that decorated my long legs. I shook my head and started to take the dress off, but Lissa stopped me.

"Rose, stop it," she chastised, knowing me well enough to know where my dark thoughts had taken me. "The bruises will fade. The shit Jesse put you through will eventually fade, too. You just have to let go and move on."

I averted my gaze. I knew, logically, that she was right, but letting go of several years of abuse was easier said than done. Honestly, it was probably easier to let go of the good memories in comparison.

"Buy the dress," she insisted. "Or I'll buy it for you."

I rolled my eyes, fighting a smile. "You really are a pain in my ass."

She grinned. "Yeah, but you love me anyway."

* * *

Three pairs of jeans, four shirts, two dresses and skirts, a new pair of boots, and a gigantic hole in my credit card later, we finally met up with Christian at the food court.

"About time," he grumbled as we sat our bags down and joined him at the table. "What happened? Did you buy everything H&M had in stock?"

"Nearly," I murmured as I slid into the chair across from him, while Lissa took her place by his side. "We probably would have if your girlfriend had anything to say about it."

Christian snorted. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Lissa playfully smacked him on the arm. "Shut up. Did you get Rose's laptop?"

Nodding, Christian reached underneath the table and pulled out a brown Asus box. "Nothing fancy, but it fit your budget." he explained. "Lightweight, i-seven processor, one terabyte of storage. Windows ten, and came pre-programmed with Microsoft Word. Also has an HD-webcam, and DVD player to distract you from working. The screen even detaches to become a tablet."

I snorted. Most of that gibberish meant nothing to me. I knew enough to get by though, and I was eager to get home and install Skype so Dimitri could finally see and speak to his family. I tried to ignore the little voice in my head that it was also an excuse to spend more time with him. "Thanks, Christian. I appreciate it."

"Anytime."

* * *

After we hit a few more stores, we headed to the local Super Target to buy some much-needed groceries for the house so that we didn't have to rely on takeout and peanut butter sandwiches. I left Lissa and Christian to the food while I went to grab a coffee from Starbucks before heading over to the book and magazine section.

I nearly dropped my white chocolate mocha when I noticed Dimitri standing in the book aisle, and holding one of my books.

I stood, frozen in place as I watched him skim over the back cover. He looked gorgeous standing there in a sleeveless black t-shirt, his sculpted biceps bare to the world, and tracksuit pants. His brown, shoulder length hair fell loose around his handsome face.

Fighting a smile, I quietly made my way over to him. "We have to stop meeting like this. Now I really _am_ worried you're stalking me."

Startled, Dimitri nearly dropped the book as he turned to me. "Roza!"

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

The corners of his lips twitched upwards as he brushed his hair out of his face. "I suppose it's only fair. I startled you this morning, so now we're even."

The mention of this morning brought back the memories of the near kiss in my kitchen, causing a wave of heat to pool low in my belly and my face to flush. Trying to hide my discomfort, I decided to change the subject and gestured to the book in his hands. "Doing a little light reading?"

Dimitri chuckled, looking a little embarrassed. "I'm on my lunch break. The gym I work at is across the street, and my little sister Viktoria has always raved about your books. I thought I would see what all of the fuss is about."

This time, I didn't try to hide my smile. "I thought you were only into Western novels, Mr. Belikov."

He grinned. "I am. But maybe I was more interested in the picture in the back than I was the actual book."

I stared at him, mouth gaped open in surprise. "Wh-"

Dimitri gave an embarrassed laugh as he put the book back on the shelf, refusing to meet my gaze. I could just barely see a hint of a blush crossing his cheeks that disappeared before I could convince myself it had actually been there. "Sorry. My mouth tends to get ahead of my brain sometimes."

An awkward silence settled between us and I shuffled my feet uncomfortably until Dimitri cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him. "Listen, about this morning…"

I shook my head, cutting him off before he could finish. "I'm sorry about Christian. He can be a little over-protective at times, especially after…" My voice trailed off.

He gazed down at me from his lofty height, dark eyes searching mine. For what, I wasn't sure. Finally, he nodded, his face shutting down into an emotionless mask. "No apology necessary. I'm thankful you have someone like that in your life, Roza. Someone to watch out for you. I would certainly be the same."

Before I could reply, he glanced down at his watch and sighed. "I'm sorry, but I have to get back. My break is nearly over and I have another client coming in ten minutes."

A pang of disappointment shot through me, but I ignored it and flashed him a smile. "It's okay. I'll...see you around, Dimitri." I started to turn away from him, when I suddenly remembered the laptop. "Oh! I almost forgot."

He turned back to me, eyebrow arched quizzically. "Hmm?"

"I got my new laptop today. The offer to use it to Skype with your family still stands," I said. "Whenever you want."

Dimitri's expression softened and a look of awe settled on his features. "That's…" He reached his hand out as if to touch my face. He thought better of it, and gripped my arm instead, giving it a gentle squeeze, sending that same shock of energy flowing through me that seemed to happen every time he touched me. "That's very kind of you, Roza. Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me."

The sincerity in his voice touched me and I smiled. "You're welcome."

With another gentle squeeze, he released my arm and turned away. "I'll see you soon, Roza."

It was late by the time we returned home, so Christian and Lissa started on dinner while I went upstairs to my room to set up the laptop. I needed to check my email, which I hadn't been able to do since the night before I went into the hospital after the confrontation with Jesse.

I was expecting an email from my attorney once the date for the trial had been set, and since I had yet to replace my cell phone, email was the only way I had to keep in touch with her.

I groaned as I logged into my account. One hundred and fifty-two unread messages. Mostly spam and newsletters from various book clubs I was a part of. I went through each of them, deleting the spam as I went.

I did, in fact, have an email from my lawyer that informed me the trial date had been set for January fourth, and that I needed to be back in town by then to testify.

I felt a mixture of relief and dread in the pit of my stomach. Relief due to the fact that there was finally an ending to this mess and I could put the entire situation behind me, though January was still a month and a half away.

The idea of seeing Jesse sent a shiver of fear through me. While a part of me still loved the man he used to be, an ever bigger part of me would be happy if I never had to see his face again.

I sent a quick response of acknowledgment to my lawyer, letting her know I had received the message and that I would indeed be there as requested.

Once sent, I continued going through my messages until one email made me stop as fear settled in my gut and my blood ran cold.

It was from Jesse, and had been sent just the day before. My hands shook as I hovered over the delete button, but decided against it. I didn't want to read it, but something in me made me open it anyway.

 _Rose,_

 _I hope you're enjoying your little Hawaiian vacation. But don't get too comfortable there. Do you have any idea the trouble you've made for me? I've lost my job thanks to you. How the fuck am I supposed to pay for this shitty condo without a job?_

 _We can still pretend this never happened, Rose. Just get your ass home, drop these fucking charges against me, and we can go back to the way we were. I know you. You can't make it alone. You need me, and I am willing to put all of this shit behind us and take you back. You know no one will ever love you the way I do. No one._

 _Be smart about this, Rose. Come home._

 _I'll be seeing you soon._

 _J._

 _No!_ Fear slammed into me as I frantically pushed away from the desk, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't breathe.

Nausea suddenly hit me and my stomach lurched. I rushed to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time before emptying the contents of my stomach into it.

Jesse knew where I was, and I knew he was crazy enough to come find me.

"Rose!" I heard Lissa call from outside my door. "Dinner's ready!"

The thought of food made me ill as I climbed unsteadily to my feet. "I'll be right there," I replied, thankful my voice was more steady than I felt.

Rinsing my mouth out, I left the bathroom and headed downstairs to join my friends.

Lissa frowned when she saw my expression. "Hey, are you feeling okay? You're really pale."

"Fine," I lied, sitting down at the table across from her. "just really tired, I guess."

She shot a quick glance at Christian and shrugged, seeming nullified by my answer.

I watched as they piled spaghetti and garlic bread onto their plates. What was normally one of my favorite foods was causing my stomach to churn and bile to rise in my throat.

I knew I should tell them about the email, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. They worried enough about me as it was, and I didn't want to cause them any more stress. And I knew that if I told them, they would cancel their Thanksgiving plans to stay here with me, and I couldn't allow that.

So, I said nothing. Instead, I forced myself to join in as they discussed their holiday plans, and politely declined when they once again tried to talk me into coming with them.

The thought of staying in this big house alone now that Jesse knew where I was terrified me. But I refused to ruin Thanksgiving for my friends.

So what the hell was I going to do?

Suddenly, it hit me.

After dinner, I raced back to my room and grabbed the business card off my side table and dialed the number.

"Hello?" a tired, warm Russian accent answered on the third ring.

"Dimitri?" I asked timidly. "It's Rose. I'm sorry to bother you so late. But I was wondering if you had any openings for those self-defense classes you told me about."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Omg you guys. First off, I want to sincerely apologize for the super long delay of this chapter. 2016 was an absolute shit year that included deaths in the family, searching unsuccessfully for a job, depression, anxiety, and an absolutely horrible case of writer's block. But I'm back now, and I swear to you that the next chapter won't take nearly as long. I want to thank you guys for being so patient with me, and hope you guys will continue to stick around.

Before we get into the chapter; My lovely friend and beta, Mordinette deserves a HUGE thank you and squishy hugs for all of her hard work. For the past week, we've been going through all of the old chapters and revising them to get them up to standard. Nothing major has been changed, mostly grammar and punctuation issues that were previously missed.

A huge thank you as well to everyone who left a review on the previous chapter. It's you guys that keep my fics going and make me want to keep working on this! So thank you to: Jess-KiwiGirl14, QueenBeeeeee, swimmer07, Ims86, Artamisofthehunt, Born to love protect and die, Gigi256, Lisablackroses, maggiescousin, touls, fogetaboutit, asideilogica21, Kaiana (guest), Lea0014, zarallei72, and guest! You guys are incredible! Thank you to those who sent me messages to check on me during my absence as well. You will never know how much that means to me!

I'll stop rambling now and let you guys read the chapter ;)

* * *

Chasing Freedom

Chapter 9

* * *

 ***Dimitri***

I could feel Eddie's eyes on me as I finished placing the weights back onto the rack. I'd just finished my last session of the day and we were setting up for the self defense class. I didn't have to look over at him to know he was smirking at me.

"I don't think I've ever seen you nervous before, Belikov," he teased, rolling out a fresh mat before taking a long drink from his water bottle. "She's really got your head on backwards."

I rolled my eyes. "I am not nervous," I informed him, and it was the truth. Mostly. Granted, it was a little daunting to think that someone I was so physically drawn to was coming in to observe what I did for a living, and knowing she was watching me did, in fact, make my heart race.

My agitation was mostly due to concern. I hadn't been able to sleep after her phone call three nights before. I hadn't seen nor heard from her since, besides a few short texts. She'd sounded distressed, and I'd spent a few hours on the phone with her trying to coax information out of her, but ultimately she had refused to give up any details as to why she had suddenly decided to take me up on my offer, but something had obviously spooked her. And it was the _what_ that had me so keyed up. I just knew it had something to do with her ex.

My imagination did have a way of running away with itself at times. Rose could have simply decided that now was the time to change; to not allow another relationship turn toxic and abusive again. But my intuition was telling me that wasn't entirely the case.

"Look," Eddie said, tossing his water bottle onto his dufflebag, "I've known Rose since we were kids. She's a great girl. The best."

"Eddie." I sighed, rubbing the back of my hand across my forehead. I hadn't yet gotten around to telling him that Rose had confirmed our suspicions about her ex. She and Eddie had always been close, and the last thing I wanted was to upset him, but he needed to know. "It's not about…"

The door to the gymnasium opened, and the first few members of their group arrived, with Rose trailing behind them meekly, and I tried to ignore the fluttering in my stomach. My friend flashed me a grin before making his way over to greet the women. "You should ask her out. She needs something good in her life right now."

I watched as Eddie greeted some of our clients before reaching Rose and throwing an arm over her shoulder and pulling her into a friendly embrace. "Glad to see the sling is gone now, Hathaway."

"Yeah, Dimitri suggested I go see Dr. Sage. She said I was mostly good to go, but that I should only be observing today. Gotta take it easy for now." Rose's dark brown eyes met mine, and she bit her lip. "Thank you for the recommendation, Dimitri."

"You're very welcome."

A slightly awkward silence settled between us. Having enough, Eddie tried to hide his grin as he looked between the two of us. "Well, I'm going to finish setting up. Belikov, I trust you to take care of our girl here," he said, throwing a wink my way before heading off.

My face felt hot, and I could see a blush spreading over Rose's cheeks as well. Clearing my throat, I placed my hand at the small of her back and ushered her over to the mat, grabbing a chair for her and setting it up a safe distance away from where we would be demonstrating. "I'm really glad you decided to do this, Roza. I think it will be good for you."

Rose nodded, her feet shuffling. "Listen, Dimitri… I…" She paused, nibbling nervously on her lip again. "I wanted to thank you for listening to me that night. I know I didn't give you a whole lot to go on, but that part of my life is messy and not easy to talk about."

"I understand," I assured her, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I know we haven't really known each other very long. I'm not sure I'd be very comfortable discussing such things with someone who is pretty much a stranger, either, if I'm honest."

She arched an eyebrow. "Good point. Though," she paused, nibbling on her lower lip again, "I don't know why, but I just don't really get the whole 'stranger danger' vibe from you." Her eyes met mine again, a small smile playing at her lips. "Should I?"

I chuckled, resisting the urge to move in close. What was it about this girl? I had never felt this kind of magnetic pull toward anyone before. Maybe Eddie was right. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and ask her out. What was the worse that could happen?

 _Aside from the fact that she's recovering from an abusive relationship and dating is probably the absolute last thing on her mind? You could humiliate yourself_ and _completely scare this girl away before you have a chance to get to know her properly?_

 _That and you don't even know if she's into you, Belikov._

"No, Roza. You have nothing to worry about from me."

Her expression softened and became bashful once more. "So," she started, shuffling her feet again. There was a nervous energy around her as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It took all I had in me not to brush the remaining hair from her face. "I was wondering. Do… do you have any plans after this?"

I stared at her, dumbstruck. The words kept spinning around in my head. _Was she asking_ me _out?_ "Well… I,"

"Belikov," Eddie called out from across the room. "You done flirting yet so we can actually get this session underway, or should we go on without you?"

Shooting him a glare, I quickly apologized to Rose. "Sorry. Can we talk after?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course." She waved me off. "Go on before he has an aneurysm or something."

I grinned at her, giving her arm another squeeze before heading off to join my partner - who had the absolute worst timing in the world.

* * *

An hour later, Rose, Eddie, and I were the last ones left. Rose helped us clean up and prepare for the next class.

"That was fun," she stated once we were done, grabbing her purse and slinging it over her shoulder as I escorted her out of the gym to her car. The early afternoon sun beat down on us, and she lifted a hand up to block the rays from her eyes. "High balls and low balls, huh?" she teased.

Laughing, I held the car door open for her. "Easy for people to remember. Balls are a weakness for all of us. Men just have a few extra."

Rose snorted before tossing her bag into the passenger seat. Her cheeks were tinged a pretty pink when she turned back to me. "So… are you… are you doing anything now?"

I nodded, stomach fluttering at the prospect of her asking me out. "I have another client in about twenty minutes, but I'm free the rest of the night. Sunday nights are my only nights off."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rose leaned against the car. "I was just wondering… if you wanted to come over when you're free. I got the laptop set up, and figured you would like to speak to your family."

"Oh," I replied, surprised, and a little disappointed. Not a date, then. Of _course_ she wasn't asking me out. I was thrilled with the offer to finally get to see my family after so long. Smiling, I forced the disappointment aside. "That would be great. Thank you, Roza."

"If you feel up to it, I'd love it if you'd stay around for dinner. If you want to, of course. No pressure."

"Yeah." I grinned, my excitement returning. So maybe it wasn't a date, but just the idea of being able to spend time with her in a non-professional environment was thrilling. "I'd love that."

She beamed up at me as she slid into the car, and I closed the door once she was safely inside. "So I'll see you tonight, then."

I grinned, doing my best to hide my eagerness. "Until tonight, then."

* * *

I arrived at Rose's house around six thirty that night. My rusted old Chevy looked out of place parked in the circular driveway that bordered the front of the multi-million dollar house. I knew Eddie had kept the lawn immaculate during the years the house had been left unattended, and I had occasionally helped out with the larger jobs. I'd been inside the house, just once, almost a week ago, but I'd been too preoccupied with Rose to pay much attention to anything else.

The woman had a way of getting into my head and wreaking havoc with my senses.

 _What was_ wrong _with me?_

Taking a deep breath, I pressed the doorbell and waited. I could hear the sounds of hurried footsteps from inside and my heart sped up excitedly. However, it was Vasilisa who peeked her head out through the crack in the door, a bundle of fluffy towels cradled in her arms.

The blonde grinned. "Dimitri! Hi!" She widened the door and gestured for me to come inside. "Rose said you might be stopping by. Come on in."

"Thank you," I said, wiping my feet on the doormat before stepping foot onto the polished hardwood floors. "I hope I'm not too late - we never really settled on a time."

Lissa shook her head, emerald eyes shining as she closed the door behind me. "Not at all. Rose is just upstairs working. She said to send you on up when you got here," she informed me, pointing towards the ceiling.

I glanced up to where she was pointing and grimaced. "I don't want to disturb her if she's working. I can come back another time."

"Nonsense." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Christian and I will be in the pool. Rose's room is just up these stairs, first room on the right." She grinned, turning away from me and heading toward the back of the house, giving a little wave of her hand. "She's waiting for you. You guys should join us when you're done."

I couldn't help but laugh as I watched her go. Glancing back up at the ceiling, I shook my head and took a deep breath before ascending the stairs to Rose's room.

I tried to keep all impure thoughts at bay, ignoring the way my heart started pounding in my chest. _Easy, Belikov._

The door to her bedroom was left open, though I didn't immediately see her. My eyes scanned the dimly lit room, and I finally found her seated at a large bay window, surrounded by pillows and books and bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. My mouth suddenly went dry. Bare legs tucked underneath her, she was furiously scribbling away at a notepad instead of typing on her computer. The bruises were yellowing in places and all but healed, with the exception of a few of the larger ones along her thigh. Dark hair twisted into a messy side braid, and a pair of reading glasses perched on the edge of her nose.

She was stunning.

I don't know how long I stood there watching her, and she didn't seem aware of my presence at all. I hated to disturb her; she looked completely in her element. Her bottom lip was bitten into her mouth as she concentrated on her work.

Gently, I tapped my knuckles against the door frame to get her attention. "Roza?"

She jumped, obviously startled, and she dropped her notepad, flailing in an attempt to catch it and knocking her glasses sideways. "Shit! Dimitri." She breathed out in attempt to calm herself. "I didn't hear you come in."

I held up my hands in mock surrender, fighting back a smile. "Apologies. I didn't mean to startle you. Vasilisa told to come on up."

Rose smiled, still a little wobbly. "No, it's okay," she assured me, bending down to retrieve her scattered writing materials and hugging them against her chest, flashing me a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Sometimes I get so into writing, the world kind of dissolves around me and nothing else exists."

I grinned, moving further into the room when she gestured for me to enter. "Not a problem. It was actually kind of amazing to watch you work for a minute."

A pretty pink tinged her tawny skin as she bashfully pinched her bottom lip between her teeth. "W-well," she stuttered, fighting back a grin as she brushed past me. "I'll leave you alone so you can talk to your family. I left Skype open, so you're all set."

I raised an eyebrow, watching as she gathered a few of her things. "You don't have to leave, Rose. I promise we won't be discussing anything sordid." I grinned, not quite ready to relinquish her company just yet. "Though you could even get some privileged and embarrassing stories from my mother and sisters."

She laughed, clutching her notebook to her chest protectively. "That's okay. I still have some work to do," she informed me and she turned and walked backwards from the room. "Take as long as you need."

I watched her go, trying to ignore the warm feeling that was threatening to bubble within my chest. A feeling that I refused to acknowledge or give name to.

 _Skype with my family. That's why you're here._

Sitting down at the desk, I entered my sister Viktoria's Skype information, and within minutes I was greeted by the widely grinning faces of my three sisters, my lovely mother, and my slightly confused-looking grandmother. "Dimka!"

* * *

After an hour and a half of enduring the screeching and eccentric women of my family, I eventually managed to end the call. It had been incredible to actually see them. While it didn't really compare to actually getting to see them face-to-face, it was well worth it. I owed Rose so much for that.

Viktoria had been ecstatic when I'd told her whose house I was in, and had begged me to meet and speak with Rose. I'd managed to get out of it by promising her I would try to arrange something on another day.

I eventually found Rose and her friends at the pool. Rose was sitting on the stairs of the shallow end of the expensive looking pool, wet hair plastered to her face as she chatted with Lissa and Christian, who were towelling themselves off.

Lissa spotted me first, grinning as she folded herself up in one of the fluffy towels she was carrying earlier. "Perfect timing. We're just about to go get dinner. Any preferences? We're thinking pizza."

I shrugged, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet.. "I'm not picky. Pepperoni is fine."

The blonde waved off my attempt to chip in. "It's on us."

"Only problem is, we're a little too far out for a delivery. So we're going to have to go get it," Christian added, though I could tell he wasn't particularly pleased with the idea of leaving me alone with Rose. "Won't be long."

"Please, let me help pay. Or I can go get it-"

"Let it go, Dimitri." Rose laughed, running a hand through her tangled, wet hair. "We've got it."

Vasilisa stuck her tongue out at me, grabbing Christian's arm and pulling him towards the house. "Enjoy a swim. We'll be back soon."

Once they were out of earshot, Rose turned back to me, her smile charming in the low ambient lighting. "How'd it go?"

"Good," I answered, kicking off my shoes and moving over toward the edge of the pool. Reaching behind me, I grabbed the neck of my shirt and pulled it over my head before stepping into the pool. The water was warm and inviting, feeling wonderful on my tired limbs. "Great, even. My mother was really excited. I'm pretty sure she's ready to cook a huge feast for you if she ever meets you."

She grinned, wading further into the pool away from me. "I'd like that. I've never had proper Russian cuisine before."

"I really appreciate everything, by the way," I told her, gazing apologetically at her. "I just hate that you lost your workspace for the evening."

She laughed, waving a hand in dismissal. "It was nothing, Dimitri. Really," she assured me. "As much as I would love to get all of the juicy details of your past, I'll let you have your privacy." Her expression softened. "It was the first time you'd _seen_ them in years. I wanted it to be for just you and your family."

Our eyes met, the lighting reflecting off of her dark eyes. "I've never met anyone like you, Roza," I said softly, wading through the water towards her. "You're kind. You're generous." I was pleased she wasn't backing away from me. "You reunited me with my family. You're amazing."

Rose breathed a laugh, her eyes widening the closer I made my way toward her. I moved slowly, so as not to spook her or appear threatening. "I-it was nothing. I'm happy I could help you."

Our bodies were brushing lightly against each other as we moved in the water. "You deserve so much better than what life has given you, Roza." I couldn't take my eyes off her; the way the droplets of water clung to her dark lashes was taunting me to brush them away. "I'm drawn to you in a way I've never felt for anyone before."

A soft sound escaped her lips. Those dark brown eyes of hers were fixed on mine, but I didn't miss how they would almost unconsciously shift their gaze to my lips. "I… I feel it too. A connection to you, I mean."

"Roza," I breathed, my fingers longing to touch her, to graze my fingers along her damp cheek or tangle them in her hair. I could feel her ragged breath against my face. I didn't dare move an inch closer. "I really want to kiss you right now. But I refuse to do it if it's not something you want. I need you to want this, too." I moved back enough to create a little distance. I didn't want to overwhelm her. "Do you?"

Her frightened eyes searched mine for what seemed like eternity, her teeth biting into her lip so hard I was afraid she would draw blood.

"It's okay if you're not, Rose. I won't rush -"

"Yes."

My heart was pounding so hard in my chest, I was certain she could hear it. "Rose? You're sure?"

"Yes," she breathed, closing the distance between us. Slowly, she slid her hands up my chest, gazing up at me with dark, pleading eyes. "Kiss me. Please."

That was all I needed.


End file.
